The Darkness Element
by DorksyDaisy
Summary: Kenji has had it with all this darkness-nonsense. It's all just a game, right? But when Roka suddenly reveals a side to herself that he has never heard, nor seen before, he decides that he will be the one to discover what the darkness-element means to Roka. But as his search for answers continues, he starts to develop feelings for the small, strange Darkness Elemental girl...
1. Chapter 1: Pieces of Fabric

Chapter 1: Pieces of fabric

"Alright then, let's get started." Roka's small voice carried across the room, her eyes focussed on the crisp papers in her hands. Kenji looked around, a sort of a dumbfounded look plastered across his face. The short blonde-haired girl continued non the less, paying no mind to the confused boy.

"Our schedule for today will include the planning for our newest-"

"Um... Roka? Where is everyone?"

Roka looked up from her notes, surprised at Kenji's interruption. But as her amber eyes scanned the empty chairs around her, a sigh left her lips. She seemed upset, as if she was trying to avoid this conversation in the first place.

"Well, you see, Chitose has a score to settle with a group of boys who were caught insulting her earth elemental abilities. She went to show them an example of her powers, to prove that she is a worthy earth elemental."

"And...w-what exactly is she going to show them?" Kenji stated, in a rather distressed voice.

"She's going to burry them of course! She could throw her almighty dirt at them, but her digging skill is of higher level at the moment."

"Do I even want to know what the others are doing?"

"Well Teach is sick, and must recharge her electric element at her home, while Sakura is off to a swimming festival. It is her duty after all, as a water elemental," Roka said simply, as if those excuses were the most normal and understandable thing possible.

"You know, it's scary how seriously you guys take these things... So just you and me today huh?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his gaze wandering over to Roka. Being alone with her made him feel slightly uneasy. She looked harmlessly adorable, in her black stockings and small school shirt, a bright blue vest worn over that. Her little leather shoes sat perfectly on her feet, and the fact that she was flat chested made her seem even more innocent. But no, these traits all cleverly hid her insanity. Not like the other girls were any better, but non of them were a darkness elemental... And as soon as she pulled out that sack of hers, things start to go downhill from there.

"But, we shall manage without them. Today, we will be planning our newest game, 'Elemental Strike' and the discussing of production." The tiny girl seemed very excited about the new game, which doesn't come as a surprise. After all, they are the "Game CREATION club" and this would be their very first game they created, based on their own skills.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're actually making games now? I thought you people just played games and ate snacks. And Teach just naps through all of it," Kenji exclaimed, drawing the shocked eyes of Roka towards him. "I thought the Real-game creation club were the only ones that actually made games, Takao seemed much more focussed on actually doing this sort of thing you know... She knows how to do these sort of things, and has been doing it for 3 years now. Seems like she's way more experienced than you are you know."

At the sound of the busty girl's name, Roka immediately stiffened. Kenji was insulting her club, and comparing her to Takao as well... Yes, Roka did see Takao as her friend, but she was always more talented, beautiful and socially accepted then Roka... To hear Kenji speak so highly of her was making her blood boil...

"Yeah, Takao has actually made real games, and is good at it. She's actually normal and appealing you know... Well sort of I guess, at least more normal than you."

_More normal than you..._

The words rang in Roka's head. How dare he! Was she not an appealing person to Kenji? The feeling of dread and disappointment filled her small frame, quickly turning into flames of rage that transformed into echoes of darkness...

Yes, _how dare he_ in deed...

***The story will now continue from Kenji's point of view***

The girl infront of me suddenly leapt at me like a wild tiger, leaping at it's prey. Deadly purple sack in hand, and evil smile tugged at her lips as she cried, "How dare you insult your own club! You must be punished!"

Oh joy.

This was not how Kenji Kazama wanted to be spending his Friday afternoon. It was finally the last day of the week, including the last club meeting of the week. All he really wanted to do was to go home and chill out, this hole 'crazy-psychopathic-elemental-game-creation-fiasco' was kinda stressin' him out. Honestly, why him? He was just a delinquent, NOT a punching bag for these wacko-girls. Even so, here he was, unable to strike back since she was a girl, being sacked and plunged into darkness.

"Roka, what the hell! Knock it off, this isn't legal you know!" He desperately yelled at her, trying to make her seize her merciless onslaught of so-called darkness.

"No! I shall defend my club to the bitter end!" She yelled, while she violently wrapped the sack around my head.

"I shall hide you in the darkness!" She hollered, oblivious to his muffled struggling. Even though she was small in stature, she was very skilled when it came to keeping people tied up, sacked and kept down on their knees. Kenji was, unfortunately to his dismay, no exception.

But he had, had enough of this crap. This girl was seriously crossing some boundaries, and no matter what mental illness of head trauma she had, she had absolutely zero right to this, he thought to himself.

_And since the others weren't here, there isn't anything to stop me..._

It was Kenji's turn to be angry at Roka now. He pushed her off him, rolling to the left, and quickly getting to his feet. She had not had a chance to bound his writs yet, so he had the advantage. With a jerk of his hand, he pulled the sack off of his head, a snarl emitting from his enraged face. She was already on her feet, reaching towards her dark colored sack, gripped tightly in the orange-haired boy's fist. His other hand was still free tough, and quickly grabbed the girl by the wrist, tightening his grip on her frail hand.

She gasped, looking down at her arm, now trapped. Her eyes quickly darted upwards, looking into the rage-filled ones of Kenji. He had his chance, no backing down. He had to put this silly girl in her place, he was the school rebel after all! He couldn't succumb to little runt like her!

"That was the last straw Roka! I agreed to join your game creation club and willingly helped you with all your crazy ideas, but dam it! I will NOT indure this kinda crap, least of all from a girl! Sure, I didn't try to stand up for myself, in fear of being HOSPITALIZED! But now that it's just you, I have the upper hand, and I say NO." He was already yelling at her, but he didn't really care.

"Kenji, please I-"

"No, you just want to be in control!"

"Please, just give it back, I won't do it again, just give it to-"

He shut her up by releasing her writs, throwing her back a bit as he did this. With anger flashing across his face, he put some distance between them, he then spun around staring directly into her wide eyes. A though quickly crossed his mind.

_Am I taking this too far?_

But he quickly suppressed the thought, thinking about all the times this girl had veraciously pouched, and attacked him. No, he had to put his foot down.

"This ends _**now.**_"

And with that, he took the sack, colored a deep shaded a purple...

Roka's eyes glued to her beloved possession...

And with a deep breath...

_He tore it up._

Tattered pieces of violet fell to the ground as Roka rushed forward, her tiny hands shaking, and her breathing had become short gasps for air. Her face had paled at an alarming rate, resembling a ghost. Her eyes glazed over, silent tears running down her colorless cheeks. Suddenly all the anger drained from Kenji's face, as he looked at the hollow girl that just a moment ago was Roka... All his resentment and fury were doused by fear, worry and... What else? What was it he was feeling?

She fell to her knees, as her trembling fingers clutched at the pieces of fabric. A sob escaped from her lips, breaking the horrifying silence that had settled over the classroom. What had he done, why could he have thought that what he did was right? Regret and guilt clawed at his belly, making him feel lightheaded and dizzy. He tried to speak, but his mouth was dry, unbearably dry. One thought separated itself from the others, blindly clear to him now as it rang in his head...

_He had gone too far..._

_**Author's note:**_

_Hi there girl and boys, and fan-people alike! It's my first fanfic and I'm simply loving writing! I know that D-Frag is not the most popular anime yet, but it's new and I instantly loved Kenji and Roka. They are adorable aren't they?! Squeeee! So anyways, I know that it is pretty heavy right now, and the tension is pretty thick, but this will only help Kenji understand why Roka is so obsessed with the darkness. Please comment and leave pleasant criticism! I would love to hear your thoughts. I don't own D-Fragments. Bye for now my little elementals! _


	2. Chapter 2: Sunsets and Strawberries

Chapter 2: Sobbing, sunsets and strawberries

Time seemed to stop...no, not stopped, slowed down. Slowed down so that he could make out every excruciating detail. So that he could feel all his emotions eating at him from the inside. So that he could regret all his actions, and still have time to be tossed around by guilt.

What right did he have to that? How could he have thought that was okay to do? A sob from the girl on her knees snapped him back to reality.

He quickly dropped down to his knees, holding the trembling girl by her narrow shoulders.

"Roka, hey don't cry, I-I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking-"

"Please d-don't take m-my dar...darkness aw-away f..from me..."

"I don't understand, Roka just look at me, you have to make me understand!"

"I n-need to s-stay in t-th-the da...dark..."

"What do you mean-"

"Cannot...c-can't l-loose it... Too v-valuable..."

"Why Roka? Why do you have to stay? What can't you loose? Why is it so valuable?!"

He couldn't help his voice from rising into a yell. She wasn't making sense, and she wasn't answering any of his questions! He needed to know what was wrong before he could fix anything... Doesn't she get it? He can't help her if she doesn't tell him! He started shaking her by her shoulders, and then yelled;

"Damn it Roka, what does the darkness mean to you, why can't you let it go?!"

She stopped her sobbing, and lifted her head, revealing puffy red eyes, and a tinge of pink coloring her nose. Her breathing became ragged, her voice barely a whisper...

"Without the darkness... _Who am I?_"

He let go of her shoulders, shocked by her question. He stared at her in confusion, making her squeeze her eyes tightly shut. He didn't know how to answer that...

She suddenly jumped to her feet, keeping her gaze lowered, and clenching her tiny fists. Still not raising her head, she screamed,

_"What am I without the darkness!?"_

She bolted pit pf the door, covering her tear streaked face with the crook of her arm, footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"Roka, wait!" He shouted after her.

Kenji got to his feet, grabbing the remains of the pouch, and stuffing them in his school bag, before dashing after her. But as he got into the empty hallways, there was no sign of the hysterical girl. He skidded to a halt in front of a staircase leading to the roof, hearing the rushed patter of brown shoes.

"Roka! You can't run from me like this!"

He ran up the steps, taking two at a time, almost tripping over his own feet. As he reached the top stairs, throwing the door open as it slammed against it's frame, he felt slightly relieved to see no other exit. Roka would have to talk and listen, there was no escaping.

**Roka's point of view**

Why was he so desperate? She couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell anybody. She was Roka, president of the game creation club, that's all they were allowed to see. Nothing else! Yet, here she was, on top of the roof of their school, with no way put. No exit strategy, no log out button. She was trapped. Kenji was her opponent. Her stats outweighed his, but in her current state he could easily overcome her. She didn't have any extra bags on her, so she couldn't pouch him... Besides, she wouldn't dare sack him after what he did to her old bag... Where to go, what to do? Her head wasn't working, all it could think about was Kenji's face when he tore up her beloved pouch... Did she really make him that angry?

What did she really mean to him?

**Back to Kenji's point of view**

She was desperately looking around for a way to get out, but the stairs had led her to a dead-end. As Kenji moved closer, she backed up, eyes not leaving him for a second. The edge of the roof was getting dangerously close, but the girl just kept moving back. Just as she was about to take the fatal step, a hand shot out, grabbing hers, and pulling her away from danger and into safety. He grabbed her by her wrists, forcing her to look up at him, and holding her in place.

"Roka, calm down! You could've fallen ya know?! You can't run from this!"

"Stop it! Why can't you leave it alone!" She snapped.

"Because I just can't okay?! Now stop bottling all of this up and just spit it out already!"

"You don't understand!" She screamed, ripping her hands from his grasp, and instead hitting him in chest, her head placed against it as well. He was firm though, and it didn't really do any harm, but he refrained from stopping her, dazed by her sudden outburst.

"You don't understand!" She repeated, hitting him in the chest again. _Thump_

"They don't understand!" Another blow to his chest. _Thump_

"Nobody understands!" _Thump_

_"_Why doesn't anybody understand?!"

Her blows were becoming softer, as her anger drained and sorrow took it's place, making her voice break. Instead of hitting him again, her fingers clasped his shirt, her head pressed against his chest.

"They never...understand..." Sobs racked her body, as she slowly dropped down to her knees for the second time that day, still holding onto his shirt, as if her life depended on it. He looked down at her, compassion filling his eyes. She had reached her limit.

He slowly knelt down, crossing his legs as he pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her, and resting his chin on her head. She froze, eyes wide with surprise, her sobbing coming to a halt.

"Shhhh... It's okay... I'll understand, I promise..." he whispered into her silky hair.

She was silent with shock for a few seconds, before clinging to his shirt even tighter and burying her head in it, staining it with fresh tears. He held her like this, rubbing her back and stroking her hair in silent comfort. By the time she had gotten her emotions under control, the sun was setting, bathing the building in beautiful colors of gold and orange. Roka had turned around, so that she faced away from him, still sitting on his lap. His arms were hanging loosely around her, her small hands resting on his as she enjoyed the last warm rays of the sun, before the moon would rise and night enveloped the sky.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

Roka looked up at Kenji, as he apologized. He kept staring ahead of him, unable to look at her face because of guilt and shame.

"I'm always so competitive at everything... You must've noticed it by now. I'm always jumping at the chance to win against someone, to prove I'm on top..." He sighed, closing his eyes before continuing.

"I guess this time, it was a competition to see who could have control over the other... You could always stop me with that bag of yours, and it surprises me how resourceful and cunning you can be for a girl like you. I guess at the time, it felt like, if I got rid of the bag, I could win... I'm sorry... I knew it the second I saw your expression that I had gone too far..."

Silence fell over the two of them, the girl taking some time to digest all of what he had just said. It was true thought. She thought back on the tournament they had, when they were all competing for her bag. Kenji and Roka had ended up in the final battle. A battle of _luck_. Kenji didn't even play fair. He cheated just so that he could win, even if she revealed that they ended in a draw, he had still gone to extraordinary lengths to claim victory.

"Forgive me? I know I sorta don't have any right to ask but-

"All is forgiven. I am content..."

It was Kenji's turn to be shocked.

"Seriously? Not kidding around?"

"As club president, underground boss and your friend, I forgive you Kenji Kazama."

"Thanks... I'm also sorry about your bag..."

Roka grew grim at his words, avoiding his gaze.

"It was something very dear to me... But that was a long time ago..."

"I've seen you use more than one bag on a few occasions before...I even have one from the tournament..."

She nodded, staring off onto the distance, as if remembering something from long ago.

"Indeed... But some are more special than others. They are different."

He decided not to press for answers. She had a long day, and he did not want to damage their friendship any further. He had crossed a line with her, and he was not planning on doing that again any time soon. Delinquent or rebel, he would stay in her club and stay close to her... She might not admit it to anyone, least of all herself, but she needed to let someone in. Satisfied with his conclusion, he relaxed and watched the sunset in soft bliss. Roka being so close made him feel at ease... Strange in way as well. Like an indescribable feeling roaming in the pit of his stomach. He pulled her a little closer, not wanting the feeling to stop. He was perplexed by his emotions, not understanding what they were, or what they meant. But decided to face them another time.

For now...he simply basked in the setting sun, breathing in the sweet smell of strawberries...

The scent of Roka.

_** Author's Note**_

_Second Chapter is up! Accidentally deleted it and had to retype it. Ug, I think I speak for every writer when I say it's awful, and takes a long, damn, time. Please leave comments, reviews, suggestions and positive criticism. There was a refrence to episode 3 of the anime in this chapter, if you didn't notice. There will definitely be more refrences to the anime in the future, though I might change something here and there. The next chapter will be posted before the end of next week. I don't own D-Frag. Feel free to ask questions as well! Goodbye for now my little elementals! _


	3. Chapter 3: Ping, Pang, Pow

Chapter 3: Ping, Pang, Pow

"New game! New game! New game!"

Roka was jumping around the table, swinging her little arms up and down, chanting this over and over in excitement. Sakura had now joined her in her joyous jumping, matching Roka's movements, and splashing water around as she swung the plastic water bottle around. Even Teach was awake for this, propping her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbows resting on the table, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Chitose was grinning madly, as she held the bright flyer tightly, reading it eagerly, Takao squealing with delight as she texted her club members on her cell. And Kenji...

Was doing nothing.

He was watching the entire scene unfold before him, jaw dropped, and a dumbfounded expression on his face. "What new game?" He mumbled under his breath, clearly confused and irritated by all of his. They all froze, stopping what they were doing, and staring at Kenji with shocked and disgusted faces. "How could you NOT know about the new game coming out this Friday?!" Chitose scoffed.

"How was I supposed to know?! And how could you guys even hear me, I was mumbling!" Kenji ranted and yelled on as usual, Roka skipping in front of Kenji and holding up a flyer.

He couldn't help his eyes looking her up and down. She looked ecstatic, her pigtails bouncing up and down as she jumped and skipped her way over to him, her amber eyes lit up with eagerness and enthusiasm. He liked her like this, blissfully happy. He can still picture her on the roof, her little hands clinging to his shirt... After he got home that night, he paced around his room, cursing furiously. His mother and sister weren't impressed, but honestly, he didn't care. He couldn't do that to her ever again. He had never seen her like that before, and didn't ever want to see her like that again. Her being happy made him feel relieved and calm... She was okay... That's all that mattered.

Roka quickly snapped him back to the matter at hand.

"It's the release of the new Magic Village game! 'Ping Pang Pow, Magic Village!' It's gotten a major upgrade, and has gone from a single player 2-D platform game, to a 3-D first person shooter MMO game!" Roka gave a few hops of happiness.

"Why couldn't they just call it Magic Village 4? Or Magic MMO Village?!" He argued.

"It goes on sale Friday! We're all gonna get a copy of the game, and then have a major Online multiplayer game session, that will go on the entire weekend!" Takao exclaimed, pointing at the release date printed in big, bold, red letters, at the bottom edge of the flyer.

"Roka has also been first in line for every Magic Game so far, so there's no way we'll miss it." Teach lazily said, while fluffing up a pillow, and lying down on the floor.

"And for the first time ever, Magic Village is expanding from just computers, to nearly every game console available!" Sakura smiled, and nipped the flyer from Roka, reading it over again.

"Yeah, well count me out," Kenji said, leaning back in his chair, and crossing his arms. "I'm not so big on the whole Magic Village thing, and besides, you guys enjoy video games way more then me." Roka immediately got into moe-mode, glancing at him, shyly twisting a lock of hair around her finger. "But Kazama-san... If you don't play... I'll miss you" she whispered softly. Kenji stiffened slightly. Was moe-mode actually having an effect on him?

"You know very well that moe-shit doesn't do it for me" He said with utmost confidence, but inside, he was forcing a blush from rising to his cheeks. She was just so damn cute...

The atmosphere changed completely after he said that, Roka looking sad and defeted, before slowly rising, her eyes hidden from view. A dark aura surrounded her, her voice becoming hollow and threatening.

"Kenji Kazama... You are forcing my hand, and I do not think you would like it when I decide to become drastic... I am offering you a chance to take part in something that gives me true happiness, and you shun it? Even for a delinquent, that is _low..." _

She raised her head, revealing shadow-struck eyes, filled with swirls of madness. He swallowed his fear, quickly evaluating the seriousness of the situation. All the other club members had crawled over to the corner of the room, where they were using Takao as a shield. Okay, so not very good.

"Alright, I'll play!" He finally answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Roka released her darkness, and once again looked as normal and cute as his little sister.

"Great! Now let's get into teams everybody!" She sat down at the table, everybody else doing the same.

"Wait, what now?!" Kenji stood up, yelling at the girls, who simply flat out ignored him.

"I'll team up with teach, keep her awake ya know?" Chitose said, glancing down at the sleeping woman.

"And I'll team up with-" Takao began, but was interrupted by Sakura.

"Takao, shouldn't you be teaming up with your own club?" Sakura asked, combing her messy, bright pink hair.

"You have to be an honorable club president! Or your members will loose faith in you!" Roka said, pointing at Takao.

"But I-" Takao began.

"A good president will stick by her members no matter what! You are the club's president right?" Roka asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Right. I wasn't even planning on teaming up with you guys anyways.. I-I was just checking to see if you were all gonna play the game, that's all..." Takao said, nervously getting up, and heading for the door, her face becoming flushed. "I had no other intensions at all!" She yelled, as she slammed the door shut, covering her red embarrassed face. She really wanted to team up with Kenji...

"What was that all about?" Kenji asked, not noticing Roka's relieved expression.

_The girl will steal all of the attention, even in the game...she is a threat against Kenji, and I will not allow it. She had to be eliminated. _Roka thought, satisfied with her plan.

"Okey dokey, then I'll team up with with Roka!" Sakura said, gulping down some of her water.

Roka smiled for a moment before looking over at Kenji, with a perplexed expression.

"Unfortunately, Sakura will have to join Chitose's group, as I will be pairing up with Kenji. He is a noob in the world of games, and as club president, I can not allow him to tarnish our club's good name!" Roka said proudly, standing up for emphasis.

"Your club doesn't have a good name!" He yelled, but the other members were applauding, as they praised her for being such a good and thoughtful leader. "Would you stop that?! She basically called me stupid!" He protested, but they had begun chanting Roka's name while tossing her in to the air and catching her again. He groaned, slumping down in his chair, grimacing at the idea of all of his. He was never going to get out of this one. He sighed and closed his eyes, moving his hands to the back of his head. Well, no use arguing if it's gonna get him no where...

"Alright everybody, tomorrow at our club meeting, I shall hand out the copies for 'Ping, Pang, Pow Magic Village'. You are all dismissed." Roka ended the meeting, grabbed her bag and headed out. The rest did the same, except for Kenji, who waited until the last one was to leave. Chitose.

He grabbed her by her arm, pulling her back away from the door. The others didn't seem to notice, Roka and Sakura chatting happily about the new characters in the Magic Village game, and Teach too tired to care. Chitose frowned, turning around and giving him a questioning stare.

"What's up Kazama?" She said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Hey prez, can I talk to you for a sec? It's about Roka."

"Alright then foot freak." She sat down in one of the chairs, crossing her legs, before looking up at him. "Ask away."

"Could you stop it with the foot freak-"

"Just get on with the question already," she said, slightly annoyed.

He scratched his neck, avoiding her gaze as he pulled a face.

"Okay, well, maybe I got a little angry at Roka for bagging me... And long story short, I sorta maybe tore up one of her bags, and well... She sorta... Reacted to it badly." He looked down, embarrassed that he had to tell her what he did. This was really out of his comfort zone.

"You hurt Roka?" She stood up, grabbing him by his shirt. "How hurt?" She asked, anger coloring her voice, her eyes filled with concern for the strange girl.

He gulped, and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the onslaught that was most likely to come.

"She was reduced to tears... She looked hollow" he said somberly.

Chitose swore, dropping him down and sitting on her chair, deep in thought. Kenji looked at her for a few seconds, before gritting teeth in frustration. He came for answers, yet was left more confused than when he started. Damn it.

"I need some answers... Do you know anything about this? I asked Roka, and she said some of them were different...special or something. I don't really understand..."

Chitose looked up, silent for a moment, before giving a sigh of annoyance. This kid wasn't gonna stop till he knew, so she might as well tell him what she knows.

"Roka has exactly 15 bags. She makes a new one every year, although 8 of them, were not made by her. I don't know the precise details, but those are very special to her, she rarely uses them to bag anybody at all. The only times she uses them to pouch anybody, is her own club members. It's her way of showing she trusts us, even if we don't know about it. You own one of the bags she made by herself, so she allowed you to keep it."

Her next words sounded grim and painful, as if it was hurting Chitose to talk about it.

"Your description of Roka's reaction though... It seems you tore up one of the 8 that she treasured dearly. By bagging you with it, she showed you that she trusted you."

"And I threw that trust away by tearing it up. Shit! I'm such a dumbass!" He ran his hands through his spiky hair, blaming his stupid temper for interfering.

"She...she said she forgave me though. Did she mean it?"

"Roka wouldn't lie about something like that. She's given you a second chance Kazama-san. You better not screw this up. That's all I know. If you want answers, you'll have to look somewhere else." She got up, picking up her bag, and moving close to Kenji. He stiffened, taking an involuntary step back. She leaned in close, reducing her voice to a venomous hiss.

"If you hurt her ever again, I will burry you alive under a mountain of rubble, leaving you to suffocate as the lack of oxygen burns and drains your lungs... Do you understand me Kenji Kazama?"

He was petrified. This girl wasn't even joking, she was dead serious. His throat had gone dry, so he just gave her a nod, trying not to let his fear show. The girl simply narrowed her toxic-filled eyes, and left without another word. He blinked a few times, waiting for his racing heart to slow down, and his breathing to become normal again. Alright, he was going to be staying over at Roka's for this whole gaming-weekend. He would have to be on his best behavior... There was no space for mistakes this time. No crossing the line, no breaking the boundaries.

Roka is like glass... She is too precious to be broken, even if she is a little cracked. If she breaks, she'll cut into him as well. He had to keep her whole... He had to keep her from shattering...

He had to keep her to himself.

**_Author's note_**

_Guess who had free time on their hands? It was meeeee! I got to write this a day after I released the last chapter, and can't wait for your reviews or criticism. Thank you so much for reading my story! Please feel free to leave any questions or suggestions. Expect more chapters very soon, and as always, may your elements stay pure my little elementals! I do not own D-frag. Enjoy your day,_

_Dorksy Daisy_


	4. Chapter 4: Her humble abode

Chapter 4: Her humble abode

Roka yawned, as she crawled out of her little yellow tent, rubbing her sleep filled eyes. Stretching her cramped limbs, she looked back at the line in front of the game store, a satisfied smile playing across her lips. The line of exited gamers stretched far across the block, all the way to the little cafe, where some of the kids were munching on steaming bagels. Yet she was in front, first in the queue for the newest Magic Village game. Sure, some people thought that they could get past her because of her small stature, but she quickly proved them wrong by casting her dark aura at them, and pouching a few who proved to be a nuisance.

After putting away all her belongings, and taking down her tent, she quickly ate a breakfast that consisted out of a few cold blueberry muffins, not that it bothered her, as this was what she usually ate when in long lines for games. She had set up camp here yesterday afternoon, and has been in the same spot since then. She was missing school at the moment, but she would catch the end of it to hand out the games to all of the club members. She hummed the Magic Village sound track to herself, happily imagining all the game-filled hours to be had.

As Kenji relaxed against the wall of the empty hallway, he looked around for any teachers. None were to be seen, so he decided to walk around a bit, his hands sitting comfortably in the pockets of his pants, as his mind started to wander. He didn't see Roka this morning, and hadn't spotted her during break either. Right now, he was ditching math, not that the subject mattered but at least he put enough effort in it to know what he was skipping out on. But as he went down the stairs, a certain girl in her pajamas, carrying a stack of CD cases caught his attention.

"Roka?"

"Hmm?" Roka turned around, noticing Kenji walking towards her. She gave him a sleepy smile, before putting the heavy stack of games down. Her blonde hair was messy, and she only had one pigtail on the right side, the other one have gone loose during her sleep. She was in a blue pajama top, with little pink stars on it, wearing pink matching shorts, and a pair of dark blue socks that came up to her knees. A pair of fluffy grey slippers sat on her tiny feet, that scuffed the floor as she walked, yawning as he approached. He grinned, as he reached out a hand, and ruffled her bed-messed hair. She was adorable just as she is, but sleepy, in pj's and wearing little boot-like slippers? She was just radiating cuteness.

"So sleepy head, watcha doing at school in your pajamas? The bell for last period is about to ring anyways."

"I am aware. I was in line for Magic Village. I've been in line since yesterday afternoon, but I have the games, and saved a lot of precious time by being first in line."

Kenji looked at the girl with new found admiration, shocked at how long that took.

"Seriously? That long? Weren't you hungry and alone?"

"I do not mind eating cold food. Besides, it was for a good cause. It is my duty as club president to provide my subjects with new and fun games."

He couldn't help staring at her in fascination. This girl was willing to do so much for her club and friends, even if it cost them nothing in return. He couldn't help wondering what went through that crazy lil' head of hers, and what her life was like. The way she talks and the specific words she uses to describe things and situations were so different, perceiving the world as a big game, they being the players and opponents. It was such a strange way to see things... Was there a reason behind it, or was it just how she was born or raised? A soft object slumped against his shoulder made him tear away from his thoughts. Roka was leaning against him, tiredly closing her eyes.

"Kazama-san? Would you mind carrying the games? I'm afraid I'll drop them, and damage the contents inside." She sleepily snuggled closer to his arm, making his breath catch in his throat. He looked around for any students or teachers. If he hurried, maybe he could make it. He quickly snatched up the games and gave them to Roka. Then, without any consent from the little girl, he swooped her up in his arms, carrying her princess-style. She was light, and practically put no strain on him. She looked up at him, surprised eyes searching for a reason in his, wrapping one arm around his neck, and holding the CD's with her other.

"Not a word about this to the others okay? You're gonna fall asleep on your own two feet if I don't carry you." He started walking towards the club room, making sure not to pass any open classrooms and stay hidden from any teachers. As he continued his journey, Roka looked up at him, contemplating what she felt for the delinquent carrying her. He had a bad temper, ditched school, was extremely competitive and never stops his furious yelling. But... He was also unbearably kind, cared for his little sister and he tried not to cross any lines, and even when he does he'll do anything in his power to ask for forgiveness. He made her feel safe and warm, and at the same time alive and electrified. She closed her eyes as sleep took it's toll on her. Snuggling into his shirt, she reveled the smell of Kenji, as she dozed off.

Kenji smiled at the girl in his arms, who was now sleeping soundly. He entered the club room, softly closing the door behind him. Before putting the girl down, he pressed his forehead against hers, furrowing his brows. He whispered gently into her hair, making her eyelids flutter,

"Who exactly are you Roka the darkness elemental?"

He sighed, and pulled away, putting her gently down on the chair, and taking the games from her limp arms. Making sure she'll sleep soundly, he sat down by the table, waiting for the bell to ring and the rest of the girls to come. And then he would have to go to Roka's house... He chuckled to himself, as he wondered;

_What wondrous madness awaits me in the lair of the underground boss?_

It had to be her house. The street was right. The address was right. Even the mailbox was right. But... It really couldn't be her house. It was _normal. _And **_HUGE! _**He wouldn't call it a mansion, but it might as well be. It had a modern, sleek look to it, with a balcony on the second level and big glass windows, allowing him a glimpse into the majestic house. A large fountain with a cobblestone path leading up to it was placed in the middle of the lawn, topiary and blooming lavender surrounding it. A small lake sat in the corner, willow trees dotted around it, drooping their leaves into the clear water below. A navy tiled roof covered the house, and intricate carved pillars supported the ceiling in front of two large ebony doors, a beautiful white fence surrounding the entire area, having rusted slightly with time. The driveway was neatly paved, and any surrounding houses were quite a drive from here.

Nothinglooked weird, or dark or... Well, it didn't look _Roka_. He was about to walk away and call the girl to see if he had the right house,when a small voice rang out, calling him back.

"Kazama-san! Over here!"

He turned around, seeing the little girl bounding towards him. She was wearing a dark purple tank-top, with white video game-themed pictures on it. A pair of black shorts sat around her hips, woolen leg-warmers of the same color surrounding her slim pale legs. On her tiny feet sat her slippers from before, some fingerless grey knitted gloves covering her hands, and a pair of colorful headphones hung around her neck.

She looked geeky and adorable...she was Geekdorable.

"Oh, hey Roka. This your house? Thought it be more...well...dark."

"Oh, I am not allowed to change anything on the outside of the house. Although, I am allowed to customize the inside anyway I like." She grinned saying this, and opened the gate for him. Oh dear, what exactly was he walking into?

As she opened the front doors, he braced himself for the madness that awaited him. This was basically like walking in to the inside of Roka's head, and he would need all the strength he could get to survive this ordeal.

The entrance seemed okay. There were a few portraits hanging on the walls. Most of them were Roka, along with another girl, taller than her but with the same blonde hair.

"Who's that in the photo with you?"

"That's my older sister,

"Didn't know you any siblings," but it wasn't too surprising, as Roka's lunches sometimes had a message from "Big sis" on them.

"She not home right now. She's abroad on some sort of culinary thing right now, but she'll be back in a few months," Roka said, smiling as she looked at the picture.

"What about your parents? Are they home?"

"On a business trip." She said this nonchalantly, but she got this strange far away look in her eyes, that suggested ulterior emotions, even if she hid them well. He was about to ask her about it, but she had already changed the subject, walking towards a glass door.

"This is the kitchen," Roka explained, showing him the first room.

It was a lavish, luxurious, and stylish kitchen, quite the opposite of what he he was expecting. The primary colors were red and white, the counters made out of light grey marble and the floors of white tile. A modern-looking white fridge stood in the corner, and a bright red microwave on the counter. He noticed that most of the appliances had little pictures painted on them. He walked in, taking a closer look at everything, trying not to look as surprised as he felt. He wouldn't say his house was small, or poor but it sure as hell wasn't as big or as tricked out as her beast of a house. She skipped in, plopping herself down on the counter, swinging her skinny little legs.

"Every room has been decorated, furnished and painted according to their elemental-type. The kitchen's color-scheme is red and white, red for fire and white for ice. I also painted the symbols on all the appliances, and designed all the rooms."

She gave him a huge grin, looking at her work with a satisfied expression.

Shit. Holy shit. He though she was already taking the whole element-thing pretty far, but this was insane! She wasn't just doing this as a hobby or to kill time, this was how she actually lived and thought everything was supposed to work. Were the others like this as well? Did they also do this sort of thing?

"Soooo, whada ya think!?" The small girl looked at him, her amber eyes wide with anticipation.

He couldn't tell her it was weird and strange... She seemed so proud of her work, and it was still an awesome kitchen. To think she designed it herself was actually quite impressive. Not that he'd ever say it out loud though.

"You're really committed to this element thing. It's cool."

He studied the little symbols of snowflakes, painted across the side of the fridge. There was a lot of detail, and he was astonished at how expertly-done it looked.

_She can paint?_

He was about to ask her about it, but she was already pulling him to the next room. Tugging him by the arm, she showed him the bathroom, the second bathroom, the living room, the indoor hot tub _**AND**_the music room. And this was all just on the first floor! Every room was like Roka said, themed to a few certain elements that fit the room. He was amazed by all of it really...

"All the guest rooms and our own rooms is upstairs. But I'll show you that later. Let's get to the game room! It's my favorite room in the house, and I just finished setting up the gaming console so we're all set to go! It has a bunch of elements, which I won't bother telling you, since we've wasted enough time as it is on the tour. Come on, hurry up! It's just past this door!

Upon entering the room, Roka stopped, letting go of Kenji's hand, and standing back so he can take it all in. And there was a lot to take in.

The entire room was painted a light sky blue color, with lime green pixels painted across it in different shapes and forms. A large white sofa sat in front of a massive flat-screen tv, mounted on the wall. Below it was a long wooden coffee table, with lots pf slots for gaming consoles, remotes and equipment. A large white, fluffy rug was lain under the couch, which was adorned with pillows and throws. There were two glass CD-racks in the corner, accompanied by posters on the walls around it, all featuring old and new games, and some of Roka. To the left was a small counter, where a microwave and mini-fridge stood, a few cupboards with bowls and glasses in them, dotted around the little kitchen. There were some windows, but most were covered by blue curtains, covered with pictures of chibi characters from anime and games. The whole place seemed to buzz, whizz and hum with electronics, giving the room a strange, yet sort of electrifying atmosphere...

Roka hopped onto the couch, pointing towards the CD-Racks.

"One if for games, the other for DVD's. Over there is a small kitchen where I keep snacks and drinks, and over here I have my masterpiece. All the gaming consoles, controllers, systems and geek-tech I could get my hands on. It fills me with so much joy, and gives me purpose in this mundane world of ours. It's amazing right?"

"Um, uh-huh..." he stuttered.

He was stupefied. Dumbfounded. Flabbergasted. What-the-hell-is-this was written across his face. The place was sick, geeked, dorked and nerded to the max. He flopped down on the couch, still lost for words, when something plastic was placed in his hand. He looked down to see a shiny, red game-controller, and a pair of headphones with a microphone attached to them. Roka grinned, before leaning closer, and saying;

_"Shall we play a game?"_

_**Author's note**_

_Hi guys! Sorry I'm late on the update, we're busy with tests and I've got extra dance classes on weekends since we have a show coming up. I know I didn't describe every room in Roka's house, but it's simply because the chapter was getting too long. In future chapters, I will be describing the rest of the rooms though. Let me know what rooms you would like me to describe, and I WILL be writing about Roka's bedroom in the next chapter. So anyways, I was trying to come up with a cute name for Kenji and Roka's relationship, by merging their two names together. This's what I got._

_Roji (__**RO**__ka-Ken__**JI**__) Kenka (__**KEN**__ji-Ro__**KA**__) Roken (__**RO**__ka-__**KEN**__ji) Jika (Ken__**JI**__-Ro__**KA**__)_

_Tell me which one is your favorite, and if you have any couple-names of your own, please place them down in the comments below. Please be patient with my updates, as it is a very busy term for this very busy girl. Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all your reviews, and all of you for reading my story!_

_Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay pure!_

_Dorksy Daisy, writer elemental. _


	5. Chapter 5: The skeletons in her closet

Chapter 5: The skeletons in her closet

**Author's note:**

_The writer lives!_

_Aaaarg, I cannot express how sorry I am! *bows down before readers* Please have mercy on this unfaithful writer!_

_So much happened between the last chapter and this one, including my dance show, another dance show, a gospel show, a wedding, my birthday, my best friend's birthday and just exams and tests tossed in between. Not to mention the problems I had with my iPad (witch I use to write on along with my new iPhone) and that I almost lost the back up of my chapter_

_These last few months have been so hectic and unorganized that I feel like I lost half of my mind somewhere back there. _

_BUT! That is still absolutely NO excuse for me to take this long in releasing the new chapter. I am so so sorry guys. Along with the busy times, I had also lost some faith in myself I guess. I started thinking "Who reads my fanfic anyways?" Or "the couple that I chose isn't all that popular or mainstream..." And I even started thinking " Why bother,I'm inexperienced in writing, this is my first fanfiction and I don't think all that many people want me to continue writing."_

_Non the less, I kept working on my chapter, but I didn't put up a goal or a deadline for my myself, and the times I continued writing on the chapter became less and less coherent. _

_A few days ago, I decided to check out the reviews and comments left since I disappeared. I thought a lot of them would be negative because I suddenly bailed out of the story. Or there would just not be any more reviews and reads since it was such an insignificant fan fiction._

_My goodness was I wrong!_

_Almost everything was positive and supportive and just made me so uncontrollably happy and moved. I sat there with the stupidest grin on my face because Ibfelt so proud to call myself a writer. Without further delay, a grabbed my phone (i'm a busy girl, and I can't always use my computer) and immediately started typing. I wanted to finish the chapter as soon as possible. So please dear readers, do not thank me for all the future and upcoming chapters. Please thank yourself! Go buy yourself some chocolates, you inspiring little munchkins! You deserve it!_

_Thanks to you, I got all the motivation I desperately needed. So please bare with me through my busy schedule, and please continue supporting this fan fiction, even though I might take some time in releasing chapters, I will try to release a new one every week. I think that an important part of being a writer is having faith in your story and in your readers. Thank you for restoring my faith in both. I love you all so much! _

_My utmost gratitude towards all of _

_you! _

_You may have noticed that the author's note is in the beginning now and not the end. That's because the end was pretty climactic and I didn't want to ruin the mood. My apologies if it's a little short, but I really want to end the chapter here._

_Ps._

_A lot of you have been requesting that I do smut and lemons in this fanfic. Now please remember, that this is my very first fanfiction and thus, also my very first lemon. It might turn out very awkward and not so steamy-as-planned. Non the less, I would love to try it. Another quick reminder. This fanfiction in not one that is filled to the brim with lemony and smutty goodness *not that that's a bad thing ;)* but it is more focussed on Roka and Kenji's developing relationship, and what exactly the darkness means to Roka. So even if do put in a lemon or two, do not expect it to be in every single chapter. And it might not be as hot and heavy as you'd like it to be, seeing as in this fanfic I would rather want their first time to come across as sweet, passionate and endearing. Roka and Kenji at the moment are also around 16 years old. So I would like the story to progress a bit before they do anything serious._

_But bottom line is:_

_I would like to try doing my very first lemon. _

_Please tell me what you think, and if you think I should try or not seeing as it would be my first time writing this sort of thing. I maybe thinking a little too much about it and I may be a little bit too serious about this, but to me it is a big step forward in my writing and a big step forward in their relationship._

_Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all your reviews, and all of you for reading my story!_

_Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay pure!_

_Dorksy Daisy, writer elemental. _

"Roka, cover me!"

"Alright, just get the treasure chest then 'tp' us back to the village!"

"Um, what does 'tp' mean again?"

"Teleport Kenji, listen when I am talking!"

"Okay, okay!"

It was 2 am, and they were in the middle of a fierce treasure hunt, going up against some guild that had the same idea. They had been playing this game for over seven hours now, and Roka was on her fifteenth cup of coffee, chugging expresso like there was no tomorrow. Stuffing some sugary sweets into her mouth, she chewed furiously as her fingers became a blur, switching, moving and clicking at buttons on the controller as she focussed all her concentration on the game before her.

Her character was a rogue elf, while Kenji chose a Kitsune mage. The elf was a small character, short and clad in a dark black hood. She had golden hair, mixed with dark blue locks and small pointed ears sticking out from under the clothes. She had chosen a rogue, so darkness and attacking silently were her skills, pretty much fitting her personality to the point where it got kinda scary. Kenji's was a Kitsune, which was a fox-like creature that had three tails. He had chosen a mage, which allowed him to preform magic and weave spells. He wore a dark purple cloak, with red auburn hair tied in braids and intertwined with beads and feathers. They looked sick, and their levels were pretty high too. Well, except for Roka...

Her level was off the charts. She leveled up like it was the easiest thing to do, and kept her level hidden from other players until she attacked, giving no mercy as she slaughtered without hesitance. She was a gaming pro, using nerd slang, and mastering the controls in a matter of minutes. Her club members were also pretty impressive, and he had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. She looked so absorbed, so alive like this. Determined, as if the sheer power of her will could accomplish anything. He stiffened a yawn, the bright screen stinging his eyes. It was getting late, or well, early so to speak, and he could feel himself getting sleepier by the second. Roka didn't show any signs of abandoning the game to get some shut-eye though, her amber eyes glued to the huge screen before them.

About an hour had gone by, and it was around 3am.

"Kenji, why did you stop? Come on, we're close to the demon lair. Hey, are you even-"

She tore her eyes away from the screen, looking over at Kenji from the other side of the couch. His eyes were closed, as the controller slipped from his unresponsive fingers, his chest rising and falling in peaceful slumber. She smiled, and quickly turned her attention back to the game.

"Me and Kenji are logging out. The noob fell asleep. Catch you guys tomorrow."

"Alright, we'll quickly gather the treasure and camp out by the entrance," Chitose replied through the mic. The rest of the club quickly said good-night before she logged out.

Gazing down at the sleeping boy, she contemplated how to handle this peculiar situation she had landed in. She couldn't just leave him on the couch, that would be bad manners. And his back was probably going to be sore in the morning...

Unfortunately, it seemed like she would have to drag him upstairs to the the bedrooms.

Oh dear...

Hauling him onto her small shoulders, she heaved him off the couch, holding tightly onto his limp arms. His head lolled back, a snore coming from his gawking mouth as he continued to sleep. Taking a deep breath in preparation, she started to drag Kenji out of the gaming room, staggering as she did so. And the slumbering red-haired boy? If it wasn't for the occasional sigh or mumble, she would have sworn he was unconscious. Even though Kenji wasn't huge or extremely built, she was still much smaller in comparison, and it took all the strength she had just to keep him from flopping down onto the floor. She inwardly groaned at the sight before her.

An entire flight of _stairs_...

Shaking Kenji like a rag doll, she tried desperately to wake him.

"Kenji! Hey, wake up, We need to climb the stairs!"

Half opening his eyes, he gave a long yawn before draping himself over her, almost making her fall over, his messy hair tickling the side of her neck.

"Hmm...Roka, carry meeee..."

Wincing at how much strength it took to keep from buckling under his weight, she tried once more to get the boy to focus and snap out of his dreamy state.

"I can't, you're too heavy! Kenji come on, after we've reached the top I'll carry you okay?!"

He paused for a moment before stumbling onto his feet, still holding onto Roka for support. With unsteady and unsure steps, the two slowly climbed the spiraling staircase. Finally reaching the top, Kenji slumped against her once more, murmuring a 'goodnight' before falling asleep on her shoulder. Struggling to keep him up, she quickly hurried towards the guest bedroom before her knees buckled.

Giving a sigh of relief as she dropped him onto the bed, she pulled the blue, striped covers over him. Exhausted from the tremendous task she had just completed, she sat down on the edge of the bed to catch her breath.

Accidentally leaning back onto the peaceful boy, her head quickly whipped around to make sure he was still sleeping soundly. His eyes flickered open for a few seconds, before pulling her into his embrace, murmuring something unheard before falling asleep again.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, her cheeks turning bright crimson as she bit her lip. Not good, not good at all. The boy held her tightly, and there was no way of escaping his grasp. Her mind went into a panic as she lay in peril. She was rapidly thinking of ways to wriggle out of his arms, when Kenji nuzzled his face in her hair, whispering something in his sleep.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to calm her racing heartbeat, as her breath got hitched in her throat. He was so close to her, she could feel the strands of his bright hair pressing against her neck, and his warm breath on her ear. It felt like she was paralyzed, as if his touch left her dazed and hazy. Allowing her eyes to drift over to him, her gaze rested on his face. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She thought to herself that...

_She liked Kenji's sleeping face..._

He looked so calm and peaceful, his lips slightly parted. She could hear his gentle breath, and see the slight flicker of his eyelids. Even in the dim light she could make out all of his features. The lines and curves that defined his face, the bones underneath his smooth skin, and even the bright shade of his spiky hair. How fascinated and familiar she had become with these features.

Reaching her small hands towards the strands, she winced as she touched the top his head. His hair felt bristly and stiff. But darting her delicate fingertips lower to the small tuffs just in front of his ears, she couldn't help but gasp. They were softer than the rest, and felt almost fuzzy between her fingers. She grasped the locks on either side of his face, and gently tugged on them.

His hair was so vivid and colorful, a lucid image to her ...sometimes she wondered if it was okay for someone so dull like her, to be next to someone so bright... Was someone with so much darkness in their hearts really allowed to stand beside someone with so much light in their eyes?

Dropping her hands down, she cupped his cheeks, smiling softly at the sleeping boy.

"Hey Kenji? Do you think it would be alright if just for tonight, I hide in your light for a change? I have been hiding in the darkness for so long...I...just want to know what it would feel like, if I embraced the light instead," she whispered, closing her eyes and pulling Kenji close as she climbed beneath the covers.

Snuggling closer, she clung to his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

The light felt warm and comforting, as if it was wrapping her up in a never ending blissful blanket. How safe and calm she felt here in his arms...

_"Ah, Kenji I don't think I can do this..."_

She thought, her dreams starting to envelop her.

_"Your light is giving me so much happiness..." _

_"If you give me this much joy..._

_"I don't think I can stand it..."_

The sun has already risen and it was around 10am when the warm rays of sunshine gently woke Kenji from his sleep. A content smile played across his lips, pulling the small frame of Roka closer against him. It all felt so unreal and serene...

His eyes snapped open and his jaw dropped slightly as he stared down at the sleeping girl who he held in his arms. Her eyelids flickered and she snuggled closer to him, burying her face into the folds of his shirt, making the boy stiffen and blush furiously.

Shit. Shit shit shit! How did she even get here? The last thing he remembered was playing the game with Roka. Where was he, and how did he get here? Why was Roka sleeping with him in the same bed?! The hell was going on!?

"Hmm...Ken...ji..."

He slowly calmed down as he heard the small girl mumble his name, nuzzling her head against his chest, her hands grasping onto his shirt.

She had done this before he thought to himself, looking down at her with a somber expression. How could he forget? Tears streaming down her face, her body trembling as she clung to him. That day when he held her tightly on the rooftop, refusing to let her go for even a second...

But the picture painted before him was in complete contrast with the one he had just thought of. Although her actions reminded him of that day, her features were strikingly different. Her breathing was calm, and she looked blissfully peaceful.

Nervously, and uncertain at first, he slowly leaned his head forward and placed a delicate kiss upon the crown of her head, his lips grazing the strands of her hair, almost shimmering in the sunlight. Placing his palms on the sides of her cheeks, he tangled his fingertips in her locks, whispering softly to the sleeping girl.

"Roka...please never wake up...stay asleep so you don't have to come back to this world where you have so much pain..." He cupped her cheeks, suddenly chuckling grimly to himself, strands of golden hair weaved between his fingers.

"Look at me lying through my teeth..."

Closing his eyes in shame, he moved his face even closer to hers.

"I...am far too selfish to wish something as noble as that..."

With those words, he quietly, making as little movement as possible, pulled the covers back and got up, the bed softly creaking under his weight.

Indeed. He was too selfish to wish that the small girl would stay asleep forever. He wanted her to wake up, to come back to him, to look at him, to touch him...

So he would just have to make reality just as blissful as her dreams, so that she would have no reason to stay asleep.

There had to be something in this gigantic house to give him a clue about her darkness. A photo album, a diary, maybe even a drawing or painting of some sort. Just something to give him an idea of her suffering.

He searched the different rooms for a few hours, almost getting lost twice. After a while, his eyes drifted over to a door, secluded off to the corner.

It wasn't like all the other polished and fancy doors. It looked old and scratched, splinters jutting out in certain places and the paint cracked.

This was different. It wouldn't be kept this way if it didn't hold some sort of sentimental value. Taking a deep breath, he reached out his hand, and took a firm hold of the door handle, preparing himself for what lay inside...

Before he could even pull the handle down, a small hand gripped his wrist tightly, forcing him to stop.

_Roka?_

When did she wake up?

Before he had time to ask her, he became aware of the expression on her face.

"Kenji...what are you doing? That room is _forbidden_, and strictly _off limits_..."

Her voice was trembling slightly, hollow and frightening. Her bangs were covering her eyes, but her face looked ghostly pale and drawn. Her hand gripped his wrist with such force, that the veins in her arm were starting to become visible.

"R-Roka, I'm sorry, I was just looking around and-"

"I said...that room is off limits...no one but me is allowed to go in there..."

Her lips were pulled tightly, and her teeth gritted in a snarl. Her whole body was shaking now, her legs looking like they were gonna give away under her, snapping like twigs. Answers would have to wait. Right now, what was important was keeping Roka sane and calm.

He crouched down a bit, lifting Roka's chin with his hand so that he could look into her eyes. What he saw made him recoil in horror.

Lifeless, dull eyes, that didn't seem to be looking anywhere. As if her eyes were clouded by mist, she wasn't aware of anything except keeping him out of this room. Peering into them was looking down an endless, never ending corridor of darkness.

What the hell was in this room?

"Roka...hey, it's me, Kenji remember? How about we go back to the guest bedroom okay?"

She didn't respond at all, her body stiff, and her arms stretched out in front of the door, blocking and shielding the room with her body. Her skin felt like ice, and her eyes like that of a corpse. He swallowed, his worry starting to grow. He took her frail, trembling hands into his, slowly leading her away from the door into the corridor.

"That's right, we're gonna leave the door behind, good, you're doing very good Roka..."

Whilst taking stumbling and slow steps, she managed to move away from the forbidden room, dragging her feet as she did so. Her posture never changed once, her eyes still echoing with emptiness.

_Don't go in there, don't look at it._

_Don't look at it._

_Don't look at it._

_Don't look at it!_

_Keep them out, out, never enter that place. Keep hiding in the darkness, don't ever come out of the darkness! Don't ever..._

_Don't leave..._

_Don't leave..._

_Me alone..._

Her scattered and incoherent thoughts kept crashing around in her mind, threatening to tear apart her soul. But slowly, the world came into vision, and she could clearly see and think once more, the screams and cries of her inner fear crawling back into the dark corner witch it came from...

The girl's eyes widened, and color seeped back into her eyes, suddenly gasping for air as if she couldn't breathe before. Her wobbling legs finally buckled, and she fell down to the floor, her hands grasping the strands of her hair on the sides of her head. Why had this happened? Why now of all times? This fear, this dread, did it have no end?!

"Roka!"

The boy dropped down onto his knees, pulling the girl into a fierce embrace as he squeezed his eyes shut in relief. She came back...

She was back...

"Shhhh, it's alright now. Deep breaths okay? In, and out. Good girl. Don't think of anything else, just breathe...thank goodness you're alright..."

Her breathing was so labored and shallow, her whole body shaking with the effort it took to calm her racing heart.

"K-Kenji... Kenji I was so scared...so scared...I don't want to go back to that room Kenji...please don't make me go back..."

He held the girl ever tighter, burying his face into her shoulder. Why? Why her? Why must she carry this burden all by herself?! Why must she hide all of these suppressed emotions?! Why was she the only one who had to suffer alone like this?!

"Why Roka? Why don't you want to go back to that room?!"

Tell me, tell me everything he screamed in the depths of his mind.

Tell me everything that haunts you and I will chase it all away!

He wanted, more than anything, to desperately see that girl smile again.

Everything grew quiet. And Roka's breathing came to a sudden halt. Her body stopped trembling.

"That because of the bones..."

He slowly pulled away, looking into a pale face that had a grim smile stitched onto her lips, and silent tears slowly making their way down bony cheeks.

"All the bones Kenji... All the bones of the skeletons in my closet...if I go in that room, I'll see millions and millions of scattered bones..."

He couldn't help his face pulling into one of horror. The agony in her voice and the morbid grin that was painted across those colorless lips of hers...it was all too much for him too handle.

"I'm afraid to see all those bones again Kenji...to walk and trample over them, to have them cut and jab into me, to have them snap under my feet...I don't want to see those skeletons anymore..."

With shaking hands she placed them over her eyes, warping her fingers so that it looked like they would claw out her own eyes. Her breathing quickened and a look of anxiety and fear spreading across her face, consuming all of her features. Her eyes. He couldn't stop looking at them. Did she want to gouge them out? Scratch those eyes out that had all these memories and images trapped within them that she couldn't get rid of?

"I don't want to have these skeletons anymore! Someone please take them away, because no matter what I do, I'll always have skeletons in my closet!"

She pulled at her hair, clutching chunks of her hair in hysteria, frantic to dispose of all these thoughts and feelings.

"I've broken enough bones!

I've trampled over enough skeletons!

I've stared into enough empty sockets!

I have tripped over enough skulls!

I...I've had enough!"

The world was spinning out of control. He was just a high school student, making promises he couldn't keep. How could he help her? Can he even help her? How was a stupid bratty kid like him supposed to cure her?

What could he do?

_I'm falling... Falling so fast that I might hit the ground any second now. Oh God, how long until I hit the ground? I'm falling for an eternity...and...while I'm falling..._

_I'm waving to all the skeletons that haunt me..._

_Am I waving hello? _

_Or..._

_Am I finally...finally waving goodbye?..._


	6. Chapter 6: Falling sky and light

Chapter 6: Falling sky and light

**Author's note:**

_So much for updating once a week. Apologies my beloved little elementals, for I have failed you once again! Shame on me..._

_This time, I took so long because of slight writer's block. And yes, that is a real thing. It's one of those times when you have all the main events of the story planned out, but in between is still a little fuzzy. And thus, I call them "Fuzzy chapters." This chapter is no exception. But, behold! A heartfelt chapter stands before you, though a little short. Please comment on it, as I would like to hear your thoughts._

_Now a little bit about what I did this weekend. I got back into some RPG-maker horror games! Goodness, do I love them! Things like, 'Mad father' and 'Ib' which really make me itch to make a fanfiction about them. Maybe after this one, I'll give it a go, for all you RPG-maker horror gamers out there. More on this later though ;)_

_So girls and boys, my fanfiction has gotten over a 1000 views! Whoa! I never thought I'd get so many! For my first fanfiction, that only has 6 chapter so far, it feels pretty amazing! I do want to remind all of you, that if you really like this fanfiction, to follow or even favorite it. It means a lot to me. Thanks for all the support you guys, your positive reviews, and all your helpful criticism! Thanks a million!_

_I'd like to hear all your thoughts and feelings, so so take the time to quickly comment. It'll only take a minute of your time. __Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all your reviews, and all of you for reading my story! __Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay pure!_

_Dorksy Daisy, writer elemental._

_xXX_

"Greetings Kazama of the three-tails. It is a pleasure to meet you again my comrade-in-arms. I look forward to fighting along side you on the blood stained battlefield one day again!"

The whole crowd was staring, all of their emotions merging together to create a single, overpowering thought.

_What the hell?_

"Arg, stop it already with that talk Roka, let's just leave our gaming history in the gaming room okay?"

The girl reluctantly nodded, before taking her place beside the embarrassed boy. Biting his lip, he discreetly allowed his eyes to scan her over.

Energetic and as weird as ever...it's as if last weekend had never even happened. It made him question if it was all just a dream, or rather, a nightmare. But then he remembers the hollow body that dropped down onto her knees before him, how limp her limbs were and how her skin was ice cold like that of a corpse...

No.

It was real.

It had happened.

Afterwards, she was in a sort of haze where she just kept on mumbling incoherent sentences, as if she was in some sort of trance. He kept on holding her, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her down. It was the only thing he could think of doing. He can't remember how long he sat there with the trembling girl in her arms, but she eventually fell asleep, finally relaxing. And then, when she came to her senses and woke up, she just acted as if she couldn't even remember the whole thing. He might have believed that if it weren't for that guilty, throbbing look in her eyes. As if she were desperately trying to hide the obvious gaping wound in her heart. They returned to gaming, until it was time for him to leave.

When she said goodbye, he could've sworn he saw something. Maybe it was the reluctant waving of her slightly shaking hand? Or maybe it was the forced smile that looked somewhat tragic. But above all else, it was probably the hesitant look in her eyes, that was begging him to stay.

"Well, bye bye Kazama-kun!"

Hearing her voice, he was pulled out of his thoughts and back to reality. Scratching his head, he looked down at the petite girl. "Why do you keep doing that. You say Kenji, then switch right back over to last name. We're already friends, so why not just call me Kenji?"

She thought for a moment, placing her index finger on her cheek as she pulled her lips into a pout. Suddenly smiling she looked up, her amber eyes locking onto his.

"Because I like the sound of 'Kazama-kun' but, more than that, I really like Kenji as well, so I'll just keep saying both!"

With that, she ran off to join Sakura as they headed off to class. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand, a slight blush spreading across his cheeks. Really Roka, saying such things so casually, when he could have easily interpreted that wrong...

_What the hell..._

_xXx_

He couldn't stop thinking about Roka. It's not like he was trying to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, but having his thoughts all jumbled up like this wasn't very pleasant either. He kept asking himself the same questions over and over again, as if his mind had become a broken record.

_Why was she so traumatized by that door?_

_Why is she all alone in that mansion?_

_Why isn't her parents here to help her?_

_Why does she hide this for him?_

And...

_What does the darkness mean to her?..._

On top of that, useless questions were starting to mix in with the important ones. Roka's darkness was supposed to be the top priority and the moment, yet he still had these interfering thoughts. Thoughts like, 'what is she doing right now?' Or, 'does she think about me sometimes?'.

It was all very confusing. Do friends normally think like that, or is it because he's concerned for her? Either way, he had to cool his head.

Looking out the window, his heartbeat seemed to slow down. The sky was blindingly blue, and a fresh summer breeze was dancing softly through pale petals of the cherry blossoms. The buzz of cicadas and the rustling of leaves sounded in his ears, a melody of summer. Some kids were playing soccer on the field, probably in the middle of PE. He spotted a certain golden-haired girl, sitting on the side lines with an annoyed expression on he delicate face.

"Seriously?..." He chuckled to himself, mumbling so that no one else could hear. She was dressed in her normal school uniform, so she probably forgot her tracksuit at home. No gym clothes, no participating.

Propping his chin in the palm of his hand, he smiled softly as he watched her. She was gazing up at the sky with a wonderstruck expression, her eyes entranced with something only visible to her. Raising her arm up to the heavens, she reached as if to grab hold of something, her slender fingers stretching to as far as they could go. A gust of wind suddenly rushed through the trees, her hair streaming out behind her as the wind tugged at her skirt. Snatching the cherry blossoms from the branches, the small petals whirled along with the wind, as Roka was caught in the middle of the current.

It was as if the flowers were raining down to envelop the girl in a flurry of color and air.

Not even thinking twice, he quickly got up from his chair, and swung through the open window onto the freshly cut grass, making his way towards the girl.

Making his way towards that whirlwind of light.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he ran away from the field. His feet felt like they weren't even touching the ground, everything blurring in a haze of green and blue. Keep running, his legs told him, as they moved on their own. Roka had no trouble keeping up with him, but she had a sort of bewildered look about her. No matter he thought, grinning to himself, the wind still grabbing at their clothes.

He would keep running.

Run forever if he must.

As long as this incredible wind steered them along the path they were running...

xXX

"Kenji, why'd you kidnap me like that?"

"I wouldn't call it kidnapping, jeez..."

Folding his arms behind his head, the bright haired boy closed his eyes as the cool breeze drifted through the leaves. They were relaxing under the shade of a large oak tree just behind the school, the grass tickling his cheek.

"Hey Roka...before I grabbed you, what were you reaching for?"

The girl looked deep in thought for a moment, before lifting her arm once more to reach for the sky. She smiled softly, before answering.

"The light. I was reaching for the light"

He looked up at her, the rays of sunlight that broke through the leaves causing her hair to shimmer in the dazzling light. Strange, he thought to himself. While he was running towards her, he felt like he was the one reaching for the light. He gave a content sigh, closing his eyes once more.

I guess we're both reaching for the light...

Roka suddenly flopped down beside him, her head resting in the crook of his arm. He was just about to scold her, when his emotions got the better of him. Besides, she just wanted a comfortable place to rest right? What's the harm in letting him lend his shoulder for her...

Roka closed her eyes as well, relishing in the feeling of being so close to Kenji. She was supposed to be at class right now, but instead here she was. Ah, Kenji had stolen her once again, and she had just gone along with it willingly. Oh well, getting stolen now and then might not be so bad, she thought, giggling to herself. They just lay there in peaceful silence, in a blissful absence of thought. Her small body next to his was making his heart beat faster, but her presence next to him was making his mind slower. Thinking, worrying and all negativity seemed to vanish whenever she was near, blown away by the whirlwind that enveloped her.

Maybe that's why he wanted to help her? Because he wanted her to be at ease like he was? Maybe it was something else... Was it because the invincible Roka finally had a weakness, and he wanted to know what it was?

No that can't be right. He was trying to help cure her darkness, not exploit it. He turned his head to look at the small girl who had her eyes closed. Maybe it was because they were both lost. No destination, no purpose, no goal that they were slowly making their way to. They were both searching for the light...

He lifted his hand, his fingers entangling themselves in the strands of her hair. Maybe he saw some light in her, and wanted to get rid of the darkness within her. She'd glow even brighter then...

"Hmm...Kenji, what are you doing?"

The girl chuckled, lazily opening her eyes. He chuckled as well, letting his hand rest against her cheek.

Best not think about it too hard, he thought to himself. Being that selfish and noble...

That was such an out-of-character thing for him to do.

"Nothing..."

He grabbed her hand, quickly standing up, whilst pulling her up onto her feet along with him.

"Whoa! Where are we going?"

The boy just grinned, running off while still holding onto her hand.

"Listen Roka. I might not show you the smart things. Or the logical things. I'm not gonna show you respective things, or things that set a good example. In fact, none of the things I'm gonna show you is probably a good idea."

He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes finding hers, smirking at the surprised girl.

"But I'll show you lots of cool and beautiful things, alright?"

Kenji was pulling her, forcing her to run with him. So why was she running with him? Why hasn't she pulled away yet?

_Because it was Kenji._

She smiled back at the boy, holding his hand a little tighter than before.

"Alright! You promise?"

"Yeah. Promise..."

She wanted to see those things. Those irresponsible, illogical yet beautiful things. She wanted to see them all. All of them, with Kenji...

xXx

"Today, I will be taking you to the roof. But we have to sneak past the teachers..."

Still holding the girl's hand, the two pressed themselves against the pillar, scanning the area for any teachers.

"Alright, cost is clear. We're gonna make a break for that empty classroom okay?"

"Yes sir!"

Slowly inching forward, they dashed across the hall, the classroom only a few bounds away.

"Crap, Teacher!"

One of the Teachers were turning around the corner, about to spot them. Kenji quickly tugged Roka into a nearby Janitor's closet, shutting the door before the woman could see them.

Roka's breath suddenly caught in her throat. Kenji had his hands pressed against the door, on either side of her head, pinning her in place. He was looking down at her, his intense gaze making her shiver. Being pressed up against the door like this, their bodies were dangerously close, her head spinning, and everything feeling dizzy. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his hair obscuring his eyes a bit. Did she feel so out of breath because it was hot and muggy in the closet?

Kenji slowly leaned in, still gazing down at the girl through half lidded eyes. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she desperately clung to this electric feeling. He tilted his head, so that his lips were inches away from her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

"I think she's gone now..." He whispered in a husky tone, her skin flaring at his voice.

"Y-yeah..."

She said in an unsteady voice, trying to find the strength to keep her legs straight. He slowly pulled back, his mouth slightly parted, as if his breathing was laboured.

"Sorry about that..."

He said, his eyes avoiding hers as he backed away and opened the door. An awkward silence followed, both of them still trying to recover from their close encounter. Without any other obstructions, they made their way to the roof.

Baka, baka, baka, baaaaka! What the hell did he just do?! Alright, pinning Roka to the door was not his plan to begin with, honestly that just sort of happened. But what happened afterwards? His body just moved on it's own, paying no attention to what his mind was telling it to do. Why did he have to be such a complete and total klutz sometimes?! Roka was probably freaked out. Aargh! Baka-baka-baka-baka!

Keeping the blushing to a minimum was becoming the hardest thing Roka had ever done in her life. Kenji was so close to her face, that she could feel his breath in her skin. Damn it! She was thinking about it again! Thinking about it just made her cheeks burn ever hotter than before. Kenji was probably weirded out. Ah, baaaaka!

She really thought he was going to-...

She paused, raising her fingers to touch her lips, frowning slightly.

Wait, what was she expecting him to do? She blinked a few times, her feelings weaving a web of confusing that cling to the corners of her thoughts.

The two silently climbed the stairs, both awkwardly blushing and refusing to make eye contact. Once they reached the top, Roka craned her neck backwards, so that she could look up at the sky.

"Wow! Kenji, everything is so blue! You can't see anything but sky if you look up like this!"

He grinned standing next to her to gaze at they sky as well. The breeze had followed them, making Roka look somewhat wild yet again. This place, were you could touch the sky, where the air met you fingertips. She, who was reaching for the light, would surely find this place wonderful.

"If you lie on you back, the whole world is enveloped in sky. You can't see anything else but blue."

She gawked at the sight, spinning around with her eyes glued to the sky. Only one color, and nothing else, completely swallowing her up in it's blissfully shade. When she looked at Kenji, his hair was so bright and vivid. It would be beautiful if the whole sky could be dyed in such a color she thought to herself.

"It feels like you can reach the sky now if you wanted to. You looked like you were just out of reach before, but now, it's everywhere. Where the above meets the below if you will. I guess you could call it-"

"The skyline!" Roka interrupted, tearing the words right from his mouth. There was a moment of silence between them, as they looked at each other with surprise dwelling in their eyes. Kenji couldn't help the broad smile stretching over his lips.

"Yeah...the Skyline...you said you were reaching for the light, right?"

She paused, the feeling of a thousand butterflies flooding over her body, the same breeze from before tossing them into a flurry around her heart.

"So you brought the light to me..."

The wind, the sky, and them. That was all there was. The ground beneath their feet seemed to seize to exist, as she was left with nothing but air. Kenji, the air elemental. He made her feel like a feather, being blown about by a hot gust of wind, that was taking her towards the light.

Without warning, Kenji suddenly grabbed her hands, not even giving her a chance to be surprised. He started spinning her round and round in a large circle, the world around her blurring and streaking into a great splash of blue.

"Ah, Kenji!" She laughed, knitting her fingers with his, as she let herself get lost in the color and motion, until she couldn't tell up and down apart. Amongst the almost blindingly blue, was Kenji, laughing along with her. Only Kenji and the sky.

No wait.

Kenji was the sky. He was the only thing she could see. Blurry, or clear, or vivid, or pale, Kenji was all she would ever see. Kenji, Kenji, Kenji, Kenji.

Keep spinning me she thought, not daring to close her eyes. The darkness could not compare to this feeling she felt. It rushed beneath her skin, and spun her head this way and that. It made her stomach flip, and her body burn with warmth. Her heart was beating to the rhythm of his voice, and all other noise seemed to fade into this haze. She could breathe, great gulps of air that made her feel alive and free.

Spinning spinning spinning.

Faster and faster until they could never stop, always moving so that the whole world blurred into nothing else but them. The absence of thought and fear made her feel light.

Her emotions and feelings finally clearing up. She stopped smiling, staring at Kenji in front of her with a shocked expression strewn across her face. Suddenly the haze and blur seemed to slow down, her entire being frozen.

In this moment.

Where sky met Kenji,

And Kenji met sky.

And where everything blended together

In a perfect, balanced world of light and wonder.

Her feelings were crystal.

Her emotions were clear.

Kenji...

_When, did you and I start falling through the sky?_

_When, did you give me these wings to soar?_

_When, did this wind suddenly surround me?_

_When..._

When did I, _fall in love with you?_...


	7. Chapter 7: Home is right here

Chapter 7: Home is right here

"Spooky, Scary Skeletons!"

"Damn it Sakura, stop singing that stupid song!"

"..."

"Thank-"

"Spooky, Scary, Skeletons!"

It was complete chaos in the game creation club room, with the curtains drawn shut, and streamers littered across the classroom floor. Candy, along with tons of soda decorated the table. This all happened about a week ago, at the last Game creation club meeting for the week...

"Alright, as you all know, we always throw a special event at the game creation club every month. The special event is held in the classroom, at the end of the month and after hours. Thanks to teach, we can also sleep over until the next morning," Roka explained, just tall enough to rest her arms on the table. Kenji couldn't help smiling at the small girl, who was sitting on a bunch of manga comic books to be high enough to even reach the table.

"This month, it's Chitose's turn to pick what special event we'll be holding!"

The boy inwardly groaned, his mood already going south. Chitose always picked some sort of horrific, death filled, complete war zone type of events. Her last event was to gather on the rooftop, and see how many people they could throw, and knock out, with dirt and mud. After an old lady fainted, the game creation club banned any air-born-projectile-themed events in the future. To sum it up, he was not exited for this specific event. But, Roka on the other hand, was very exited. Whilst she enjoyed all types of events, Chitose's events tended to appeal to the dark side of her. Events also meant that they could all gather for some wild and crazy activities, whilst sleeping over. It was much better than sleeping all alone in that huge mansion.

Her eyes came to rest on Kenji, who was absentmindedly lost in his thoughts. She was quite perplexed with the predicament that she came to realize a few days ago. She, liked Kenji. More as a friend, yet different than family. But she was slightly confused.

In all the anime, and manga she had watched and read, whenever the girl discovered she liked the guy, she started to act differently. She became shy, awkward, clumsy and very strange whenever he was near. Roka on the other hand, wasn't really feeling any of it at all.

It fact, she felt quite relieved. All these confusing tangle of thoughts, and questionable feelings she had were all suddenly explainable. It's like she finally unlocked a special ability that allowed her to progress. This feeling of being 'in love' and knowing that you were 'in love' was actually a very pleasant feeling. She had never felt this way before, and had never once had any interest in boys. But Kenji was different. He wasn't like all the other boys. He made her feel things she couldn't describe and think things she never would have considered before. He made her overthink, and overreact, and overwhelmed and overflow with the overall feeling of being overly overjoyed at everything. It was, overly complicated.

It was contradictory in every way possible. It was simple, yet complex. It was difficult, but easy. It was tiring but also invigorating. It left pain and joy, and thinking too much and acting without thinking at all. Illogical, irrational and indescribable. An inexhaustible source of emotions, thoughts, feelings and actions. If she thought about it, she doesn't think she'll ever be able to put it into words.

It was just...nice. Really, really _nice._

"Prepare yourselves my fellow elementals! A week from now, on the last day of the month, you and I shall embark on a quest!" Chitose's booming voice instantly caught everyone's attention, drawing their eyes back to the violet haired girl.

"A quest of terror, that will make you bones shake, your mouth dry and your stomach knot!" The girl paused before climbing o to chair, placing one foot on the table.

"A quest in search of something grotesque and twisted..." She leaped onto the table, before cackling and throwing her arms up to the ceiling.

"A quest for the _scariest game_ ever!"

Kenji went deathly pale, and slumped down in his seat. It felt like all life had been drained from him, and all that was left was the dreadful thought of playing horror games with Chitose.

"Chitose! You scared Kenji so bad, that his soul is leaving his body!"

Sakura leapt up, and ran over to the lifeless boy, grabbing onto his shoulders and shaking him like a rag doll.

_"I got your soul brother!"_

"Oi, who are you calling brother! And don't make references to other anime whilst you're in this one!"

"Kenji! I'll heal you with my fire-moe-magic!"

"Don't you dare, that stuff is just stupid!"

He suddenly felt a dark presence emerge from Roka, her eyes filled with the echoes of madness. She looked up at him, taking small staggering steps towards him.

"Kenji...I thought you lost your soul, but you seem to be fine...maybe I should just rid you of it once and for all..."

Chitose and Minami just stared at the three, a pleasant smile on Teach's face. It was always this lively in the club since Kenji joined. Roka seemed to be glowing as well, and Sakura was more cheerful.

"It's been quite fun since Kenji joined..."

Chitose scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "That foot freak? It's been more like a bother since he joined..."

Minami just chuckled to herself. Chitose probably didn't realize it herself yet. That she was a little jealous of Roka and Kenji's growing relationship, the small changes in behavior between those two and not to mention the small glances they exchanged. No, none of them have realized it. Oh well, she'll just leave them a little longer and see what happens. She mustn't spoil all the fun by ruining the surprises.

And with that she placed her head on her pillow, and closed her eyes, still smiling softly.

The following week, they started planning the event. Who would decorate, who would bring snacks and of course, who would bring all the horror games. It was buzzing in the game creation club, everyone busy with their own thing. After school, Roka and Kenji were in charge of bringing over all the boxes of decorations. The sun was low, and almost starting to set, it's last rays of sun bathing the sky in warm colors of red and orange.

"Aaaah, look Kenji! The sky is burning!"

The boy looked out through the windows, their footsteps echoing in the empty hallways. The sky looked as if it was set aflame, the sun a burning red against the painted orange of the sky. Yeah, he thought. _The sky was burning_.

Thinking this, he looked over at Roka, who was still entranced with gazing out the window. He felt the overwhelming feeling to reach out and touch her hair., which looked like it was shimmering in the sun's golden rays. If it wasn't for the boxes, he might have actually done so. She was burning too, so brightly and beautifully. Her flames engulfed everyone who came close, and enveloped them in her warmth. She had so much color and life in that small body of hers...

But she also had so much darkness and fear tucked away under that fire...it was fiercer and merciless, and threatened to swallow her flame. He dreaded the day that there would be nothing left but ash and shadows.

"Come on Roka, I'll race you to the classroom," he said, gaining the attention of the small girl. Large amber eyes stared back at him, wide and full of curiosity. If he looked closer, he was sure that he could see embers drifting in the depths of those burning eyes.

"Ready, set, go!" He shot forward, quickly gaining speed but still holding onto the boxes tightly. He could hear the furious tapping of small feet drawing closer. Roka was faster than him, but his strength outweighed hers, and right now, those boxes were pretty heavy. She drew up next to him, grinning madly, her golden hair wild around her small face. Her feet were a blur, and her eyes soaked in the excitement and rush. He looked over at her, lost in the picture that formed before his eyes.

Roka, running with all her might, her small legs carrying her farther across the floor and her hair streaming out behind her. Her mouth open as quick breaths left her lips, and her cheeks flushed from running. The orange bathed sky, and the setting crimson sun behind her, it's light streaming through the windows, immersing Roka in it's colors and streaks of warmth. Glowing embers and falling cinders were dashed across her eyes, exploding and burning with light that threatend to engulf the world.

This picture burned itself into his mind, and consumed all his thoughts. Words resounded in his head accompanied by the sound of a fire flickering to life in his soul, the crackling of the flame making his head spin.

_Don't let those embers go out_

Finally reaching the classroom he turned on his heal and ran in, dropping the boxes down onto the floor with a thud, bending over to catch his breath. What was that just now? He felt like he was going to drop everything and hold onto that girl for dear life. He had to keep on running to stop himself.

_Dammit_, what was happening to him?

Seconds later, Roka rushed in, breathless and panting. "H-How did you just..."

She collapsed on the floor, letting her boxes fall as well. He didn't have an answer for her. He couldn't fathom where he suddenly got that burst of energy from. They were both silent for a few minutes, the young teens trying to calm their racing hearts.

"We should probably put away the decorations properly huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he said, ruffling the small girl's hair. He paused, wondering when he started doing that subconsciously. She quickly stood up, and the two started carrying the load to the storage room. But as Roka picked up one of the boxes, her foot snagged on the side of the table. Crying out, she fell down, taking the box with her. As she landed on the box, the lid burst open and millions of differently colored feathers were swept up into the air.

Sitting up, the small girl looked in amazement at the falling, swirling colors, the soft pastel feathers drifting in the breeze that came from the open window.

"Roka are you alright, I heard a loud bang and-"

Kenji stopped in his tracks, seeing Roka on the floor, her hands outstretched to catch the falling colors, feathers strewn around her and dancing in the breeze. She looked up, a light blue pastel feather landing on her head. She giggled, before reaching out her hands towards the boy.

"Kenji, come look at the falling colors!"

Again, he felt the impulse to run and grab onto those small, little hands. He involuntarily took a step forward, not noticing the box, his eyes glued to the little girl. Tripping over the box, he fell down on top of Roka, feathers flying into the air once again. The box fell over, strings, ribbons and beads tumbling out. They lay sprawled atop each other in a tangle of decorations.

"Ah, Kenji get off, you're heavy..."

Dammit, again! Get a hold of yourself, Kenji thought, gritting his teeth in frustration. What the hell was up with him today? He blinked a few times, his vision going into focus. The soft light that poured in through the window came to rest on Roka, who was entangled in beaded strings, ribbons and feathers. She was rubbing her arm where he accidentally hit her, pulling her soft lips into a pout. She suddenly grinned at him, and grabbed a hand full of feathers, tossing them over his head.

"Serves you right for falling on me!" She yelled, slinging a thick green ribbon around his neck.

"Stupid, I tripped!" He retorted, draping a piece of polka dotted fabric over her small head.

"You'll pay for that!" She laughed, yanking off the cloth and pouring beads down his shirt. Their little war continued on, until the last rays of the sun started to die out, and the shadows grew tall and deep. They lay exhausted amongst the strings and ribbons, staring up at the ceiling where the shadows created patterns.

"Roka, we should probably get home. We can just clean it up tomorrow before school...Roka?"

The little girl yawned, stretching her arms like a cat, before curling into a small ball, her eyes fluttering closed. The boy sighed deeply, casting his gaze up at the ceiling again.

"Fine. I'll carry you home."

"Home..." She murmured softly, her hands reaching out to cling to his jacket. "Where is home Kenji...?" He looked at her, brushing a feather off of her golden strands. He was about to tell her not to worry, and that her home was in her mansion. But instead, he adorned her slim shoulders with his arms.

"Right here Roka. Home is right here..."

She giggled softly, mumbling into the folds of his school shirt. "Home is in Kenji's arms? That's silly..." He blushed a deep shade of red, rather thinking about throwing her aside, but she held onto Kenji's shirt with both her hands.

"Home was never so warm before...home is right here..."

Her voice sounded so soft, yet so tragic. As if there was something painful hiding behind her curtain of sweet words. He tried to hold back the sorrowful expression that darkened his face, staring down at the pitiful girl in agony. So lonely and cold, huddled up like a stray cat. Where was home for such a weak and fragile creature? He hugged her tightly, suddenly overwhelmed by his own feeling of loneliness.

"Yeah...for you and me both, home is right here. Right here Roka..."

His thoughts about getting back to the house, about Roka getting back to the mansion, about getting locked up in school, all of those thoughts simply died out with the sun. He had forgotten how lonely he used to feel, back when his father had disappeared. How he felt like going home was the same feeling as going to school. Just going back and forth each day, without ever returning to a place of warmth. Did she feel like that? Everyday, just going back and forth?

Back and forth and back forth, stuck in the same rut for what feels like an eternity. Did she feel like she wasn't able to return to a place a warmth? A place of comfort? A place to call home? Her innocent question of where home could be rattled him down into his bones. Every time he answered a question about the darkness element, a thousand more would take it's place. It felt like he was going nowhere.

_One step forward, two steps back._

He closed his eyes, and rested his head against her hair, the wispy strands tickling his cheeks. He was enveloped in her scent, so sweet and intoxicating. He didn't know how to feel about the girl sleeping. When she slept, her eyes were shut, hiding those embers that dwelled in their depths. But on the other hand...

Those small flickering embers were hidden from the world, preventing them from being _snuffed out_.

XxX

In the end, Roka's butler came to pick her up, worried about the girl who didn't return home. On the way, he also dropped Kenji off at his house, the small girl dozing in the back seat. Thus, a week later, they were all gathered in the game creation club room, listening to Sakura sing. Kenji leaned down, whispering in Roka's ear, who was standing next to him.

"Roka, about last week, after we decorated..." She looked up, and quickly smiled, running her hand through her hair in a slightly nervous fashion. "Sorry, I fell asleep right? I mumble in my sleep sometimes and say some strange things. Apologies for burdening you!"

"Oh...no, it's fine, really."

I guess she doesn't remember he thought, turning his attention to the dirt-witch, who was busy picking out their first game to play. They were about to start when the power tripped. They were all plunged into the dark, the silence almost deafening. "Crap, the power's out. Okay, sit tight guys, me and Teach will quickly go check it out."

Chitose and Minami grabbed a flashlight, and exited the room, the door sliding shut with a thud. As time ticked by, the sun set, the night slowly seeping through the sky. Even with the curtains drawn back, the light was slowly fading. Kenji glanced over to Roka who was looking at the sky, her head on her arms where she sat at the table. "Guess it's already getting late huh?" He commented, the atmosphere tense, the fun mood long gone with Chitose and Teach.

Through half lidded eyes, her gaze refused to leave the window and she spoke in an almost dream like state. "The light is no longer wanted by the sky. So the night swallows up the light..." Both Sakura and Kenji exchanged a look of worry, before looking at the little girl again. So Sakura feels it too he thought, clearing his throat.

"The night swallows up everything in shadows and darkness..." She murmured, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Sakura suddenly got up from her chair, plastering a cheerful expression on her face. "I'm gonna go find Chitose! They're having all the fun without us!" And with that she ran out. But Kenji had seen it, the trembling in her hands. He could feel the desperation in her voice, to find the others and quickly get this event back on track.

"Sakura, wait!" Roka quickly jumped up, and chased after her, her footsteps echoing down the empty hallways. Dammit, he thought, following the small girl. They searched on end, but not a trace was left of the other members. Their hearts were racing, and their breathing shallow. It was dark and eerie, and fear was starting to claw at their bellies.

"Kenji, maybe we should go back..."

He simply nodded, thinking that if he spoke now, his voice would crack. But turning around his throat went dry, sweat dripping down his brow. School looked so much different at night. The hallways stretched on for an eternity, and suddenly the ceiling felt low and suffocating. The windows were stained black with night, and the moon was obscured by clouds. A daily building that they thought they knew inside out, had become a gaping maw of their insecurities and doubt.

A crack of thunder broke the silence, making Roka shudder. Why was such a ordinary place like a school suddenly...suddenly...

_A place of fear._

"K-Kenji!" She said, her worry growing. She felt eyes, eyes everywhere, decorating the walls and watching her. They could see all of her, see through her and into her. She wanted to move away from their piercing gaze that made her hair stand on end. He grabbed her hand and ran off. He felt like something was snapping at their heels, snatching at their clothes. Their frantic running was accompanied by the small girl's erratic breathing, her feet furiously running. The hallways were unending, and every corner looked the same. Lost in a building that was usually so familiar, felt like a nightmare. A gust of wind blew a door shut next to them, a loud bang sending a shard of fear into their bodies as the girl cried out.

"It's just the door, calm down!" He said, but he was just as shaken. The walls were closing in, and the floor seemed to be dragging them down. Another clap of thunder sent the two students running again, the fear devouring them whole. It was gnawing at their bones and pulling at their hair. Closer, closer, closer it crept, dragging it's bony fingers down their spines. This school felt sinister, hauntingly strange and twisted. The wind howled outside, and the branches of nearby trees scratched at the windows, the sound sheer madness in their heads. It devoured everything and left only this wretched, jaw clenching fear in it's place.

_It swallowed up the light._

"Kenji, I can't run anymore!" She said, her legs exhausted. They had been running frantically for an hour, and her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her head. The boy was just as tired, but his heart that was beating like a drum against his chest was urging him to keep moving. Before he could reply, Roka pulled him into the nearest room, shutting the door behind them, her hands pressed against the metal frame as she tried to catch her breath.

Looking around, the floor was covered in a navy carpet, bookshelves stacked around them. A few tables with chairs were dotted in between, the windows against the far side of the room firmly shut. A library felt strangely comforting, the musty smell of books giving off a familiar and safe scent. At least they were finally out of those horrible hallways.

"Sorry Kazama-kun...I just-"

"It's fine...now that we've calmed down we can think clearly again." He sighed, taking deep calming breaths. This place was exactaly what they needed to start thinking logically again. "Come on, let's just take it slow. I'm sure we'll find the classroom." She nodded, as they both tried to open the door. The door however, refused to budge, clanking as they tried to pry it open. The orange-haired boy's eyes widened, as he used both hands to pull at the door, but it was firmly shut. He frantically started tugging at the handle, repeating the same line over and over in his head. _This can't be happening._

"Dammit! What the hell, we just opened this stupid door!"

He kicked the door in frustration, running his hands through his hair. Honestly, he just wanted to leave this place. He'd had enough of this shit. To be scared like this was really diminishing and was frankly just damn anger inducing. He turned his head when a small hand grabbed onto the hem of his jacket, looking down at the petite girl. For a split second he thought about Roka, who was probably just as scared, but was quickly proved wrong when his eyes met hers. "Come on, let's sit down. The only thing we can do now is wait," she said in a monotone voice, instantly slowing his heart down to a calm heartbeat. He thought he was here to help her calm down like back in her house, yet here he was, hanging off her every word to feel anxiety or serenity. She lead him over to the window, where she sat down, her face giving no indication that she was scared at all. She seemed to be fine, practically no different than any other day. He sat down in front of her, feeling sheepish for being so terrified just mere seconds ago.

"Doesn't the dark bother you?"

She paused for a second, before hugging her knees close to her chest, resting her head on her legs. "The darkness is comforting..." She said in a somber tone, her gaze tilted at the floor. He frowned slightly, before asking hesitantly, "In what way?"

The girl stared intently at the floor, her eyes dull and blunt. "Instead of thinking that terrifying things hide in the darkness, think of it more as the darkness hiding the terrifying things. The darkness shields you from those fearful sights and graphic images that are left to haunt you..." Another clap of thunder resounded through the sky, as if the impact of her words was effecting the very heavens.

"Roka..." He said softly, her eyes reflecting the emptiness inside, the embers swallowed up by this loneliness.

"Like the veil of a bride, hiding her face so that the world if left to imagine her beauty. When she is actually disfigured and difficult to look at. Or the curtains of a window, hiding the storm brewing outside so that all looks peaceful and calm." There was a long pause before she spoke again, her voice a shallow breath that shuddered softly in the dark, and her eyes widening until her could see the whites of her eyes. They seemed to be a mirror of the darkness that had fallen in the form of ash and shadows across those once burning eyes.

"Or the bodybag of a _corpse_...hiding the repulsive and grotesque wounds of the brutally massacred body..."

He felt like he should recoil in disgust, but instead the impulse from before flooded over his whole body. Reach out, grab her and hold her until she couldn't move he thought frantically. She looked just like she had a week ago, huddled up like a stray cat, nowhere to go but forward. She wasn't allowed to feel, because feeling would mean turning back. And whatever lay behind that small back of hers, was so dark that it cast shadows across her face. That darkness was catching up with her little feet, and she couldn't run or flee from it's clutches.

"Stuuuupid!" He mocked, flicking her perky nose with his fingers. He had an irritated expression defining his features, his gaze not wavering for a second. She looked up in surprise, clearly shocked down to her toes.

_Different._

"If there's darkness, then you can't see the nice things. Really, it's like trying to play a game with your screen off." He said, waving his hand dramatically. He had to act normal, ignore the depths of her words. All she really needed right now was someone who wouldn't overreact, or stare at her in horror, or try and console her with empty words. She just needed someone to reassure her, that they won't start acting different.

"I mean, we can't see outside because of the darkness. For all we know, the others could be right outside! But it's lacking light so we won't know..." She stared in awe, her jaw slack and her body limp. "Lacking light.." she murmured.

_Different._

He was treating her the same way, she thought. He looked in her eyes. He was laughing! Laughing, and he looked at her like she was just being really stupid. He dropped his big hand onto her head, and ruffled her hair.

"Idiot" he said, giving her the most sincere smile he had ever given her. She was an idiot...hiding these things from him. _Stupid, idiot, _the boy chuckled to himself.

_Different._

She reached up her hands, grabbing onto his hand and holding it atop her head. He patted her head, he smiled at her. He just did all those things, mere seconds ago she thought. He was the same. The same Kenji. He was the same, yet so different from all the others. Everyone always avoided her gaze, and treated her like the plague. As if she was toxic, as if she would burn them if they came to close. They treated her like a pest, no better than a rat. Like an illness. Like a demon, like poison, like filth and like she was cursed.

_Different!_

He didn't...he...he treated her like a _human_. Like _Roka_. He treated her like Roka...she was human! She was Roka! He realised it! He was _different!_

He blinked a few times, as he patted her head, his smile fading as relief washed over his body. Embers. Beautiful, glowing, wonderstruck embers. He didn't let them go out...he didn't let them die. That's why he always wanted to help this girl. So that he could see those embers, and keep them from being snuffed out.

Suddenly, thunder boomed across the sky, tearing a rip in the sky as rain poured down. It was as if the clouds had burst, an endless rain of water falling down from above. Roka held tighter onto his hand, at which he responded with soothing strokes across her golden strands.

"You don't like the rain?"

She hesitated, her eyes darting around in search of something. This was different from her darkness. It was more frantic, as if she wasn't sure of how to feel.

"I-It confuses me. I'm supposed to like the rain but then again...the rain it-it just, it's like acid...the rain makes me feel like my insides are being torn apart..."

He continued to pat her head, his fingers combing through those silky locks of hers in comfort. He wouldn't ask her why, for now he wasn't going to ask any more questions. He'd show her that he could handle her worst. After that, she'll trust him enough to tell him what the darkness means to her.

His tone morbid, he looked at her with a solemn expression. "Sorry Roka...this would all be so much easier for you if you were home right? In a place familiar...yet here you are stuck with me..." She had nice servants to worry over her well being, and a large house to make her feel safe, and friends who cared dearly for her. Surely, she felt alone in this place. Of course Kenji, he thought, she probably feels the least at ease right now.

"Yeah, it would be much better if you were _home..._"

He was suddenly taken aback, by slender arms, wrapping themselves firmly around his neck, and a petite body on top of his. The girl pressed her face and frame against his, her hands gripping at the material of his jacket.

"Kenji's the idiot right now, not Roka!" She yelled, her hands clutching even tighter at the jacket. She clenched her teeth, closing her eyes as she embraced him tightly, the boy paralyzed in awe and shock.

"Stupid! Home is right here isn't it?!"

The pitter patter of the rain died down, everything becoming quiet like the death. Everything just faded out of view, and the world stopped turning. All for a second...but it was the most beautiful second Kenii had ever seen. For in that mere second, for in the single second...

He saw a thousand embers light up around him.

They were tossed into the sky, dazzling and mesmerizing. They burned and glowed so brightly, that everything was enveloped in this warm, tender feeling. He was always making sure that there was a suitable home for his sister, an easy home for his mother, a nice home for them all. But for the first time, in that second, he had a home too. They were both, no longer stray animals, fragile and breakable creatures. They were just two people, searching for a home.

He felt his face contort in a mixture of pain, longing, sorrow and relief. He hugged the girl fiercely, desperately grabbing at her shoulders. Tightly, huddled together as the rain relentlessly fell in the background, his eyes squeezed firmly shut. He barely managed to choke out the words that stuck in his throat.

"Yeah.."

He allowed his pain to be enveloped by Roka, for the first time after ripping up Roka's back, acting selfishly and spoiled. He spoke once more, his voice cracking, and his eyes stinging.

"Home is right here..."

XxX

**Author's Note:**

_Happy Hallo- dang it, it's not Halloween anymore..._

_Hello boys and girl! I was going to update the previous week, but I failed yet again. As always. So instead I planned to release this special chapter on Halloween! Which, for me, was two days ago._

_Yeah, I ended up watching anime instead of finishing my chapter about anime. Oh, the irony._

_So in my country, we do not celebrate Halloween. But the idea and concept of it always seemed very fun to me. I hope you all enjoyed your Halloween. Whether you tricked, or treated and if it was spooky or creepy or not or both, My Happiest Halloween to you melt dear readers! If you were wondering why our beloved characters didn't celebrate Halloween, it was because it's still early in the year for them, and I'm following a specific timeline along with the plot that follows that. BUT! Do not worry as I will post a special Halloween chapter, once the time rolls around for them!_

_For those Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood fans out there, you might have noticed Kenji breaking the forthwall, and Sakura throwing a line from that anime out there. Happy Halloween to all those FM Alchemist Brotherhood fans out there! :P_

_On a side note, these last few weeks have been very rough on me. I've been going through a lot of stress and emotional issues lately, and it all just feels really messy and difficult right now. I'm doing this to get sympathy points or nice words. On the contrary, I'm only doing this because I want to thank all of you. Writing this chapter was really nice, and left my head feeling clear for the first time in so long. Thanks to your constant support and positive feedback, I finally felt some relief from this constant stress._

_So pack yourself on the back, because you made a really emotional girl smile! Thanks for still reading this geeky dorky girl's fanfiction. Hoped you enjoyed your extra long, extra special chapter for Halloween! Please keep supporting me, as you guys along with this story keeps me going!_

_Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all your reviews, and all of you for reading my story!_

_Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay spooky! Dorksy Daisy, pumpkin-writer elemental._


	8. Chapter 8: Happy Birthday

Chapter 8: Happy Birthday

**Author's note:**

_Hi there guys, I'm back from my SUPER long break. I am so so sorry. I was planning on writing a Christmasy sort of scene on Christmas last year. But I just didn't get to it...and after that writing felt so difficult. I couldn't think of what to say or how to say it, and was really just struggling._

_It didn't really feel like fun anymore, and more like a job I have to do. I am so sorry I've been absent for months, and you guys had to wait this long for an update. I am so so sorry..._

_Also, after I posted Chapter 7, one of my lovely fans, annhoopoe (I hope you don't mind me using your name!), sent me a message. She said that a website was holding a competition for stories and that she thought I should enter! I was so honored! So I checked it out. Unfortunately, the fanfiction contest only excepted finished fan fictions. There wasn't a lot of time left either. So I decided to enter the horror story contest, since it didn't have to be long, and could be short. I spent a lot of time on it, and writing it perfectly. When I was done, it sort of took it out of me, and I couldn't write again. But I really like what I wrote, but I entered the contest a little too late, and didn't really have a shot in the end._

_But if you're in the mood to read something really dark and morbid, then you can go check it out. I tried to leave the link, but Fanfiction won't allow me. So the website's name is Inkitt. When you're at the website, the story's name I wrote is "The sound of death". Just type it into the site's search engine. the author should be Dorksy Daisy. I'm so sorry It's so hard guys, but I simply can't post the link, it won't let me.  
__If you really liked it, leave a comment about it here, or maybe sign up in the site to leave a review._

_Anyways, I'm not gonna talk about anything else. This chapter is kind of about Sakura and the relationship she has with Roka and Kenji. I put in this chapter to prepare for Chapter 9, which is going to be the start of something big. And if you haven't checked out my blog yet, be sure to do so, cause I do reviews about anime and RPG maker games, and I've written a few descriptions for future fanfic. It's not done by a long shot, and I still have to do reviews of almost 20 more anime, but I'll be sure to update it now and then. For now, there's just a few things of what a like or what I want to write about._

_Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all your reviews, and all of you for reading my story!  
__Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay pure!  
__Dorksy Daisy, writer elemental._

"Happy birthday Sakura!"

They were all gathered around the pink haired girl, tossing their arms up in celebration. The water elemental squealed in delight, throwing her arms into the air as well, before tightly clinging onto Roka.

"Roka! This is the best birthday ever! To spend the day I was born in such a place...it truly is a blessing from the heavens..."

It's just an aquarium, what's so great about it anyways? Kenji thought to himself, already feeling tired from the girl's shenanigans. Honestly, they were always being overly dramatic about everything. And he just had to get dragged into their world of weird...

"You won't win this round, you filthy dirt demon!"

"The proper term is 'earth' demon! If you get it wrong again, I'll make sure your lungs never get to taste sweet oxygen ever again, pesky mortal!"

And, to put a cherry on top of the crazy-cake, Ataru decided to tag along, and was currently being firmly grounded into the pavement by Chitose's foot. Kenji gave a deep groan, fearing for the long, long day that lay before him. How did they even get into this mess...

_"Now let us discuss the main event!"  
__They were all gathered at another game creation club meeting, Roka beginning the Thursday afternoon with an ecstatic introduction._

"Tomorrow is Sakura's birthday!"

Sakura beamed, the other members happily applauding the pink haired girl. It was her first year in high school, and thus, her first time celebrating it with the game creation club. It was last year, at the water park, where Roka met her and finally gave her a place to be herself. Only happy memories have followed since then, her whole life always filled with fun and games. Chitose, Roka and even a teacher, Minami, were just like her. But...sometimes Roka...she seemed so-

"And, after careful consideration...we have decided that the place where we will celebrate our beloved water elemental's birthday..." Roka said, interrupting Sakura's train of thought. The petite girl gave a dramatic pause, before exclaiming at the top of her lungs,

"The aquarium!"

Kenji winced at the loud shriek that pierced his ears, Sakura gleefully running over to Roka to embrace her tightly. He scratched his head, forcing a smile on to his lips. It's not like a trip to the aquarium was such a bother, it's just...if it went anything like their last event, then he would rather pass. That night stuck in the school with the power down wasn't a very fond memory. Thinking back on it still sent shivers down his spine. To think that he would get scared like that...honestly, that wasn't his finest moment.

Roka spoke again, prying Sakura's arms off of her small frame. "We were going to go to the water park. But since your birthday is in early spring, it would have been too cold. So rather, we decided to celebrate it at a place that was just as close to your water element as a water park!" She explained, Sakura nodding eagerly as she listened. Chitose had taken their side as well, resting her arms on top of Roka's head, a content smile playing on her lips. He gazed at Roka, who was happily talking to the other two girls, her eyes wide and full of excitement.

He had discovered something related to the darkness during their previous event though. The first thing was her view of the darkness. It was a strange, twisted concept, that the darkness could hide gruesome things from view. She talked about it fondly, yet the look in her eyes was hauntingly frightful, as if she was hiding the fear underneath her morbid words. The second thing came as quite the surprise. Rain. She seemed to be conflicted, her feelings towards it contradictory. She told him that she was supposed to like it, but that the rain had turned into acid. Maybe she hated the rain, but then something happened that changed her mind? It was all very confusing. He was just getting bits and pieces, and couldn't see the full picture yet. The scattered images of her past still a foreign concept that he couldn't grasp yet.

And then...there was that moment. Where the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck, her body on top of his as she buried her face into the folds of his shirt. She cried out that "home was right here, wasn't it?" her voice sounding angry yet desperate as well. She had said the thing that he wanted to hear the most, the thing his very soul had craved for. In the overwhelming wave of emotions that crashed down on him, he enveloped her in his embrace, close to breaking down right then and there. They stayed like this, their bodies clinging to each other, and their legs tangled up as the rain came down like an endless fire of bullets, yet the only sound he was aware of, was the steady beat of her heart.

He clicked his tongue, furrowing his brow in annoyance. Focus dammit, he thought to himself. You're supposed to be the person who Roka can lean on, so don't go leaning on her tired shoulders. She doesn't have space for your petty problems when she's shouldering this burden.

"Deep in thought I see?"

He jumped in his seat, turning his head to see Teach, who had moved up next to him. He chuckled nervously, looking over at the three girls. "Just the usual I guess..." It wasn't a lie. The usual of late, was Roka. Her darkness was always on his mind, along with the girl herself. Minami looked over at them, sitting forward in her chair. "They sure look happy don't they. Such a lively group of girls..." He looked over at Teach, contemplating her role in all of this. He remembered overhearing somewhere that she used to be Roka's homeroom teacher. Surely she knew something?

"Um, Teach, do you maybe know something about Roka's past? I mean, something that causes her...well," he stuttered slightly, trying to find the right words to explain her condition. If he called it her 'darkness' then maybe she wouldn't quite understand. "Ah, her 'dark side' If you would. Yes, unfortunately, whilst Roka was in my class, I came to learn a thing or two about that girl's situation..."

His eyes grew wide at her words, a sense of relief clouding his mind. Finally he had something. She could tell him what happened, then he could think of a way to fix the problem at hand. With this information he could- "But it's not my place to say..." Minami interrupted, making all his thoughts come to a halt. His new found hope and optimism was plucked into the air, and carried away by the breeze. "It's not something I can just tell you..." She continued, lifting her hand to point at Roka. "THAT girl, has to tell you herself. It's far more complex than you think, and if it doesn't come from her, it'll mean nothing..." He glanced at Roka, before hastily questioning the older woman before him. "What do you mean...if I know what's wrong then-"

"No." Minami simply stated, making the boy swallow his words. "She has to tell you her story. If you find out by other means, and then try to fix her problems...all the trust you've gained so far will be thrown away." Kenji was left to think about her words, a long silence following her heavy statement. He got up from his seat to pick up his bag, a somber atmosphere settling around him.. "Excuse me..." He mumbled, not really paying attention anymore. This changed everything...he had been trying to find outside sources to tell him what her darkness was, seeing as the small girl refused to say a word about it. But hearing this, all his planning had been erased, leaving him with a clean and blank board. And honestly, he didn't have the faintest clue as how to start drawing on the theoretical board again. He had to go somewhere and clear his head. Somewhere without Roka to distract him, and where he could just think in peace.

Minami watched the bright haired boy take his leave, staring after him with solemn eyes. Come on Kenji, she thought, closing her eyes to lie down on her arms. Please become someone who will finally help her. If it's you, I'm sure... She sighed, one eye flickering open to look at the girl in question one more time before plunging her vision into darkness once more. So very sure...that you'll finally be able to get rid of her lingering darkness.

Kenji dropped his bag onto the cement, sitting down on the edge of the school's fountain. Running a hand through his spiky locks, he sighed deeply as he listened to the lapping water behind him. Shit, he's back to square one now. He groaned in frustration, covering his face with his hands. What the hell, it was like the universe and all unknown forces out there were working against him.

"Screw the universe..." He cursed under his breath, dropping his hands back down just to see a small girl, mere inches away from his face. "Kenji! If you bad mouth the universe, you will be struck down by the elemental gods!"

"Roka, what the h-" he moved back instinctively, trying to put some distance between their faces, but instead he tumbled over the side in to the fountain. Coughing a few times, he looked up at the girl who

was now standing on the edge of the fountain, grinning down at the wet boy.

"Roka, what the hell?! My clothes are soaking wet!"

She pulled her lips into her trademark pout, before placing her hands on her hips.

"It was the elemental gods punishing you for bad mouthing the universe!" She bellowed, earning a few stray glances from the crowd walking home.

He tried to hold back the chuckle that caught in his throat, and the blush that rose to his cheeks. She looked so determined, standing there with her head held high.

Shit. Too cute...

Grabbing her hand, he abandoned all logical reasoning and pulled her into the fountain as well. She let out a short cry, before landing sprawled on top of him, the water splashing in all directions. "Kenji, no fair..." She mumbled, sitting upright to look down at her soaked school uniform. He was about to question why he pulled her into the fountain, but decided that it was merely to punish her. Satisfied with that conclusion, he splashed the petite girl, earning a satisfying yelp from her lips, as she tried to cover her face with her small hands.

"I am a fire elemental so I can't use-"

She was quickly interrupted by water splashing across her face, causing the wet girl to pause for a second before she tried to continue.

"So I can't use water-"

Again, her words were swallowed by Kenji tossing water at her, grinning at how flustered she looked.

"It's on Kenji Kazama!" She cried, abandoning her previous statement to grab a handful of the clear fountain water and splash Kenji, earning a chuckle from the boy.

They continued their aquatic war, ignoring the looks and whispers from the Passerby's. His thoughts from before were quickly drowned in the cool water, making him laugh at how ironic it was. He was trying to get away from Roka to clear his thoughts, yet being with Roka was the thing that cleared his head in the end. That's why he had to help this strange girl. When he turned his back to try and leave her behind, she would just find her way back beside him, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

If she was willing to stay by his side, then he would do the same. In the end, all he wanted to do was keep these moments. Moments like these. Blissfully playful days, where the shadows that lurk behind her eyes weren't visible, and the trembling of her lips were hidden behind this smile. The darkness was washed away, and replaced with light.

Leaving his thoughts behind, he helped the little girl out of the pond.

"Come on. Let's go change into our gym clothes before we go home. My mom wouldn't be very impressed if I tracked water into her house..." The boy said, wringing the water out of his jacket. Tomorrow, they would all go to the Aquarium for Sakura's birthday. Maybe Sakura knew something about Roka? He didn't want to spoil her birthday, but maybe he could just ask a few questions. Quickly changing out of his wet clothes, he zipped up his tracksuit, slinging his school bag over his shoulder.

Roka quickly wriggled out of her uniform, grabbing her gym clothes from her locker. Slipping into the teal pants and pulling the shirt over her head, she paused to look down at the soaked garments. How did a simple fountain give her so much joy? Somehow, Kenji had a way of making her happy without her even realizing it. Grabbing her bag, she dashed out the bathroom to meet up with the boy in question. Upon seeing the empty hallway, she sheepishly glanced around. "Stupid...of course he wouldn't wait..." Quickly pushing the disappointment to a far corner in her mind, she made her way towards the front doors, but was surprised to see Kenji leaning against the entrance. Seeing her, he gave her a lazy grin, before walking towards the gates.

He waited.

A childish giddiness filled her, and she ran up to join him. Something so small as just waiting for her to walk home together, made her so simplemindedly satisfied. A cute bunny-like sneeze interrupting the silence, Kenji glanced over at the petite girl, chuckling at how cute she was. Taking off his tracksuit jacket, he dropped it onto her head, causing her to stay frozen in place.

"Don't catch a cold, idiot!" He called over his shoulder. As he heard the fast tapping of little feet running to catch up, he smiled at the soft breeze, that was slightly chilly, but carried the scent of spring.

More days like these. She could only wish for more days like these, along with Kenji. She whispered into her cupped hands, before throwing her hands up into the air, tossing her wish up to the heavens.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a wish!"

He dropped a fist lightly onto her head.

"Stupid."

Rubbing the crown of her head, she pouted as she sulked, before turning her attention to the bright haired boy. "But Kenji, you were in my wish you know?"

He stared at her for a few moments, contemplating what she could have possibly wished for. But instead, he decided to rather answer her like he always did.

He stopped walking, and turned to face her, hunching down a bit so that he could look into her ember colored eyes.

"Dummy, don't go wishing for useless things. Don't rely on your elemental gods to grant your wishes." Dropping a hand onto her head, he ruffled her golden locks, smiling as she squeezed her eyes shut for a second.

"Just rely on me instead."

And with that, he grabbed her hand, loosely holding onto her fingers with his own. If he had looked back, he would have seen a very surprised Roka, with a blush spreading across her cheeks. Ah...she was being stupid again she thought, glancing up at the sky as if she could spot her wish amongst the clouds. Maybe someday, instead of praying to the heavens she'd ask Kenji to chase all her problems away...but not yet. She wasn't ready to bear her demons as they were in their rawest form, and to show him what lay beneath all these walls...but if anyone, it would be him.

It would always be him.

XxX

And so, they had ended up at the aquarium. On the way, Chitose seemed to bump into Ataru, who immediately challenged her, to see who could name the most fish in the area. Both of them being as competitive as they were, she jumped at the chance to battle it out with the former president, forgetting all about the birthday party. Finally releasing her foot that kept the blond haired boy grounded, they dashed off yelling at each other, leaving the rest of the party behind.

"Okay Sakura! Where do you want to go first?!"

Roka seemed almost ecstatic, zealously pointing towards some of the exhibits. She was dressed up in white thigh-high striped blue and teal socks, a pair of gray sneakers sitting comfortably on her little feet. Denim shorts adorned her hips, and a loose, light gray sweater was pulled over her slim frame.

He walked over to her side, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Quickly joining the conversation, Sakura pointed at the jellyfish tank, grabbing both the hands of Roka and Kenji, and pulling them over towards the fish. Minami slowly followed, glancing at the trio.

It would be great if Sakura and Kenji could help lift this pressure from Roka's shoulders. Chitose hadn't even noticed it quite yet, and had been denying what she's been seeing. Sakura had seen it...and Kenji was trying to fix it. The teacher sighed, rubbing the lingering sleep from her eyes. She'd been thinking about this too much...she should rather just enjoy the day here. She could think about all of this tomorrow...

Roka looked with fascination at the floating jellyfish, pressing her delicate hands against the glass. Sakura was explaining something about a jellyfish being mainly water, but the boy wasn't focusing. He smiled down at Roka, who was thoroughly enveloped in Sakura's documentary. Maybe coming to the aquarium wouldn't be so bad.

They toured the whole place, taking their time to listen to Sakura talk about each exhibit individually. They stopped at a little cafe in the aquarium, to grab a bite to eat before continuing on. The dim lighting complemented the dark blue water of the tanks, an almost dream like serenity surrounding the area.

Sakura suddenly stopped, staring with wide eyes at a smallish tank.

"What's in it?" Kenji questioned, peering over the pink haired girl's shoulder. In the tank, filled with colorful seaweed, was small yellow seahorses, gracefully swimming around. Roka stared in awe, mimicking Sakura's wonderstruck expression.

"These are my favorite sea creatures..." Sakura whispered, trailing her fingers over the glass.

The bright haired boy stared at the water elemental in slight shock, looking between the sea horses and Sakura. He was sure her favorite animal would be something like a ravenous shark, or some sort of cannibal fish. But...a seahorse? It's wasn't deadly, or poisonous, or dangerous. The way Sakura ran around, almost drowning people, and slapping them with water, you'd be sure that she'd have chosen something more on the lines of her fighting style.

"You know, Seahorses have a habit of singing to their young," the girl said, earning the stares of both teenagers.

"What?! Hell no, that's ridiculous!"

"It's true!" The girl shouted, both Roka and Kenji staring at her in disbelief. "You know, family is very important to me...seeing an animal like this, doing this out of instinct. It puts us humans to shame a bit huh?" The girl chuckled, before turning her gaze back to the small creature.

"But I think, if they do that on instinct, we can do so much more if we put our minds to it. We can really care for each other because we want to...right?"

"Sakura..." Roka murmured, looking at the girl with new found respect. Kenji could only stare in amazement. She usually had her heads in the clouds, and didn't take anything seriously. To hear these kind of words come from her mouth...it was unbelievable. In fact, Sakura's been acting strange all day. Or maybe not strange just...different. She was more excited than usual, which was saying something. But at most of the exhibits, after talking about the fish, she grew deathly silent, and just looked at the water with a sort of admiring look.

She really liked being a water elemental huh?

"Sakura! I'll be right back! I saw something in the gift shop I really wanna get. Just wait here okay!" Roka dashed off, her light golden locks streaming out behind her. Now's my chance, Kenji thought, glancing over at Sakura.

"Hey Sakura, I know this isn't really appropriate for your birthday but, can I talk to you about Roka?"

Turning around, a look of worry glazed her eyes, and she looked nervous for a second. Maybe she knew it too he thought, clearing his throat. "Listen, maybe you already know this but something happened to Roka...she has this burden she's carrying and she's probably suffering without letting anyone know."

Running a hand through his hair, he cast his eyes to the floor, gritting his teeth as he tried not to let his concern for the little girl show. "Do you know what it is? Anything, please, I need to know."

She was silent, scanning Kenji over before she sat down on the cement ledge surrounding one of the large tanks. Knitting her fingers into each other, she spoke in a soft tone. "Before I met Roka, I didn't have many friends. Words like 'childish' and 'freak' were thrown around..." A solemn look crossed her eyes, but it was quickly pushed back by determination.

"It didn't bother me though. I liked who I was and that's really all that mattered...but then Roka found me. You know, I didn't mind doing this by myself but..." Looking up at Kenji, her hands clutched the edge of her shirt, an overwhelming happiness glimmering in her eyes.

"But this is much more fun!"

The boy smiled down at the girl, sitting down beside her. She cared a lot for the little fire elemental girl...he could see that at least. He sighed deeply, rubbing at his eyes. Damn it Roka...people really care about you...stop making them worry, you're not the only one hurting.

"Hey Kenji...why are you so desperate to help her?"

He'd been asking the same question to himself for a while now. Questioning his whole reason for this investigation. Why her? What could he do? This wasn't some sort of movie where a teenager could solve all the world's problems...

But

He didn't need to solve the world's problems. He only needed to try and solve that girl's problems. He didn't need a clear reason to do this. He'll figure that out when he was done figuring out how to help her. Hearing someone else ask the question that's been playing over and over in his mind, it was suddenly very clear. The pink haired girl stared at Kenji, his eyes wide and full of concern. He looked so absorbed, as if her question held the meaning to his very life. "It's obvious isn't it? I need to help her..." He clenched his fists gritting his teeth. He had to do this. She was in so much pain..he had to free her, calm her, hold her. Had to make her see she didn't have to be alone. She didn't half to bare this all on her own. She didn't have to suffer like this! He had to...he...

"Because she's mine now! My responsibility!" He shouted, earning a shocked look from the pink haired girl. The emotion that laced his voice, and the way his eyes seemed to be screaming something she couldn't quite grasp. Kenji...do you really-

"I'm baaaack!~"

Both looked over at the girl in question, stuffing a small box into her pocket. She grinned, before glancing at the surprised faces of the two teens. "What's the matter? What I miss?" Sharing a look, Sakura smiled, jumping up and folding her hands behind her back. "Nothing! Now come on, I want to see one more thing before we leave!"

Rushing out of the aquarium, Roka took in the surrounding sights. The aquarium was located at the edge of the local beach, the ocean water lapping against the bay. Sakura dragged them over to a boat where people were getting on, a large banner hanging in front of the stairs.

"Whale Watching?" Kenji read, before they boarded the boat.

"Yeah! Maybe we'll see one. It's the perfect way to end my birthday...and Roka planned it all!"

The fire elemental grinned in satisfaction, running over to the edge of the rails as the boat took off. The sun was almost setting now, the dark depths of the ocean swallowing it's bright glow, as it left the sky bleeding orange. "What about Teach?" Kenji suddenly remembered, feeling bad for the woman they just abandoned.

"Don't worry about it. She said she was gonna wait by the car. Wanted to take a nap." Roka explained, but a frown still caused her eyebrows to crease together.

"Wait...aren't we forgetting someone?"

xXx

"Wait, I know this one! Um, cute- no wait, cuzzle- arg, wait!"

"Cuttlefish!"

"Damn it!"

Chitose cackled menacingly at the flustered Ataru, who was now two points behind her. She felt a little bad for leaving Sakura on her birthday, but then again the water and fire elemental probably had fun well enough without her. Glancing at Ataru she scoffed at how feeble the boy was compared to her. He had a skinny frame and poor eyesight. Although his grades were commendable, he lacked in a lot of the other departments. He used to be a "delinquent" but he'd sooner hurt himself through his own clumsiness than hurt another.

"Chitose, watch out!"

Before she had time to register what the boy was warning her of, she was harshly pushed out of the way, a loud splashing sounding next to her. Opening her eyes, her gaze came to stop on Ataru, who was now drenched in water, a dark blue bucket laying beside him. What she assumed was a maintenance worker hurriedly apologized, picking up the bucket and bowing deeply before the wet boy.

"Ah, thanks for that one I guess...you alright?" She mumbled, miffed at having to thank this skinny masochist.

"The great Chitose said thank you? This makes up for those two points I lost!" He beamed, removing his glasses. "But, I'm fine. The bucket's handle just hit my glasses. It think the lens is broken..." he lifted his head, running a hand through his damp golden locks, stuffing the pair of damaged glasses into his pocket.

Ba-dump.

She was astounded by the boy that stood before her. He looked like a completely different person...Because of the water, the way he styled his hair before was gone now, replaced by messy, damp locks that obscured his eyes, the blond strands reaching past his ears. She didn't know his hair was so long. His glasses were also missing, and instead of the eyes she'd glare down at, dark and strangely intense eyes were staring at her, seemingly breaking past her barriers, as if searching for something. And lastly, the skinny frame she'd just mocked a second ago, was clearly visible through the soaked sky blue T-shirt. She could make out all the lines and curves of his body, defined by the water. It was as if the nerdy Ataru had been transformed, made more elegant. Made into something...different.

"Sorry to ask, but could I borrow a bobby pin by any chance? Otherwise my hair's gonna be a bother..." He sheepishly asked, tossing his head to the side a bit to get the hair out of his face.

"No, I mean maybe. Yes, whatever, sure, I mean, I don't care! But it'll cost you a point. I don't give out my personal items for free you know?!" Ba-dump? What the hell, what the hell, what the hell, what the the hell! The hell does "ba-dump" mean?! My heart just suddenly missed a beat there when I saw Ataru, the girl frantically thought. What the hell is with that appearance?!

The girl's thoughts ran mad in her head as she passed him a bobby pin, watching as he took the hair that hung in front of his face, and slicked it back so that he could pin it down. With his bangs pinned back, and the rest of his hair hanging loose, he looked like someone out of a manga page. He wiped some of the water from his face, wringing out his shirt before blinking rapidly. Suddenly grabbing onto the violet haired girl's hand, her face flushed crimson as she pulled back in a startled fashion. She hated how hot her face felt. The whole situation was just so...alien. It was a completely different person standing in front of her.

"Sorry but, I can't really see so you'll have to lead me back to Minami. She has my contact lenses. Or are you too chicken?"

Blushing even more, she practically yanked the boy off his feet as she stomped towards the entrance. "No! You'll just loose another point!"

The boy's jaw practically dropped as he started ranting that it wasn't his fault. He was Ataru...the same old competitive nerd. But...he looked so different. She cursed as her heart skipped another beat. "This better be some sort of heart disease..." She murmured with contempt under her breath, holding onto the stumbling boy's thin hand.

xXx

"Over there! Do you see it?!"

"I see it! Kenji! Kenji, look!"

She grabbed onto Kenji's hand, pulling him down so that his face was next to hers, as she pointed excitedly out at the sea. Between the dark folds of the ocean, he could see the finned tail peaking out. It's not like it wasn't cool or anything, but he was a little distracted by Roka's hand squeezing his. She was so close that if he leaned a little to his left, their cheeks would graze each other.

"Hold on, I think I saw one on that side!" The little fire elemental dashed off, almost toppling over the railing on the other side as she breathed in the salty air. The breeze whipped her hair this way and that, the sound of the lapping waves filling her ears with it's rushing symphony. The aquarium was no more than an outline on the horizon, a stark image against the rolling water.

Kenji chuckled, turning around to lean his elbows on the railing, with his back to the ocean. Sakura did the same, expect she was facing the beautiful view, leaning over the iron bars. "If she runs any faster she's gonna fall over board..." There was a pleasant silence between the water elemental and the delinquent, as he gazed at Roka and she at the water. The only sound was the whistling ocean breeze, and the soft chatting of the passengers.

"...Do you know what a whale fall is, Kenji?"

He glanced at her, trying to determine the depth behind her words. But all that was displayed was the calm smile and restful eyes on the blissful girl's face. She continued, taking his silence as a no.

"It's when a whale dies, and sinks down to the the bottom of the ocean. It's a lot of food all of a sudden, in a place where there are usually none."

Lifting her arms, she placed her hands on the railing, her eyes getting that spark that he's seen flashing about all day long.

"Scientist have found entirely new species that only appear when a whale fall takes place. Entire ecosystems form around it! Life can thrive at the bottom of the ocean, where it's dark and lifeless all because of one creature. Just because that creature is so big, it can give even the creatures at the bottom of the darkest parts of the ocean a chance..."

He paused a second, smiling at how happy she looked. Dropping a hand onto a short, messy bed hair, he petted her head before grinning down her.

"You really like the ocean huh?"

She looked a little dumbstruck before smiling back at him.  
"Yeah, I really do!"

Looking back the ocean, he felt strangely at peace. It was alright. He had Sakura. And together, they could figure out what Roka had underneath all those barriers.

"Hey...you're, a really cool sister."

At these words, her eyes lit up like Christmas lights, and her jaw almost scraped the floor.

"You-you mean...?"

Scratching his neck, he started to feel a little awkward and sheepish. Damn it, doing nice things really wasn't all it's cracked up to be.

"Yeah yeah, happy birthday alright? My present to you. you can call me brother from now on. But you better help me out then. We're family after all."

She flung her arms around him, giving him a quick hug, before exclaiming. "Anything for you brother!" It meant so much to her. More than anything, family always came first. And now, Kenji was in a way a part of that.  
He smiled down at her once more, finding her statement a little affectionate. Almost like that of his younger sister. Family huh? Yeah, that didn't sound too bad...

"Hey Sakura!"

As the water elemental spun around to face the voice, she was met with a small navy box, the small, outstretched hands belonging to a beaming Roka.

"Happy Birthday!"  
Opening the tiny box, she lifted out a slightly rusty silver, as if it had been in and out of the water all it's life, little seahorse pendant, sapphire gemstones adoring it's eyes. It hung from a thin leather straps, long enough to be a short necklace.

"I was gonna give you something else. But hearing that you loved Seahorses, I quickly bought it at the gift shop. It has a leather strap so you can even go swimming with it! I know giving you something from a gift shop is stupid, but when I saw it I just thought it looked like something you'd like."

Gazing down at the small present, the girl felt overwhelmed with joy, yet tragedy as well. How could such a kind, and beautiful girl be so tormented by something that she wouldn't tell anyone? She was precious to her, like a sister even. She glanced at Kenji, her older brother, doing all he could to save this girl. Being a delinquent but still allowing her to call him "brother." Kind and selfless. She looked at Roka, her older sister, loving others yet hating herself. So in pain and lost. Even so, she took Sakura in, and still finds it within herself to make everyday for the others fun and foolish. They weren't her real brother and sister but still...they cared so much for her...

Slinging her arms around her orange haired brother, who humored her on her birthday. And her golden haired friend, and sister who meant the world to her...she choked out words that brought her so much joy, it was flowing over. They were both so stupid...so stupid for caring so much, yet not finding the time to look after themselves.

"I really...love both of you idiots!"


	9. Chapter 9: Fourteen

Chapter 9: Fourteen

**Author's note:**

_Heeeeey guuuuys! How long's it been? A month? Maybe two...or three? Hehe...he...*sweats nervously whilst hiding behind desk*  
Okay, and this week's chapter is painfully short...and barely anything happens...*ducks as fan flips table at me*_

_Okay, but, BUT! This is the final filler chapter before the plot gets thicker than molasses! Thick syrupy plot! And I am terribly sorry for the long wait, tests have begun and I wanted to do this chapter and the next one as one chapter, but in the end split it up so that the next one would flow easier. Um, so yeah! Sorry guys, this is more like a teaser for chapter 10. Thanks for all the support, I know I'm the worst writer on but hey, no one else loves this couple as much as I do!_

_Someone said that if I want to add a lemon I should make the rating more suitable. As soon as I'm sure of adding a lemon, I'll update the rating so don't worry!_

_Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all your reviews, and all of you for reading my story!  
Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay pure!  
_Dorksy Daisy, writer elemental.

"Ouch!"

The little fire elemental suddenly jerked her foot away from the white shoe, almost falling over if it wasn't for Kenji catching her. An odd way to begin a Monday morning he thought to himself, surprised at how light the girl was.

"Whoa, slow down tiger. Somethin' caught in your shoe?"

"Must be the work of the dark elements!" She cried, looking awfully happy about that. Always so obsessed with these sort of thing, honestly this girl...

"Hey tone it down a bit would'cha? It's not even 10 in the morning yet." Lightly dropping his fist onto her head she giggled, shrugging his hand of her golden locks. He smiled, chuckling as he mumbled "idiot..." The mood lately seemed almost unreal. It was light, weightless...easy. When he thought back on the past few weeks, he couldn't help the shiver running down his spine. It all just felt like a bad dream, stowed away in the back of his mind. The Roka in front of him was like a different person entirely. Not a shred of resemblance visible to the girl with the darkness behind her eyes. If it could be like this...no...it should be like this, he thought, looking the little girl over with a smile.

"So, what was in your shoe?"

Roka's face slowly grew darker, as the frown deepened on her brow. Turning the shoe upside down, the whole locker room grew deathly silent, and Kenji could only stare in disbelief. About a dozen, golden tacks fell from the small white shoe, clinking as they hit the smooth floor. The small objects seemed to glint with malice, their sharp points almost taunting. Everyone stared, their curious eyes surveying the situation with shock and dread. Roka was the underground boss and those who didn't know that, knew about her innocent, and sometimes childish charm, even thought she was a bit eccentric. So why, _why the hell_ would someone put so many tacks, of all things, in her shoes?

"...oh..." She neutrally mumbled.

"Don't just 'oh', this is serious!" He shouted, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

"It's just a prank isn't it?"

"No one in hell puts those many tacks in someone's shoe just for a prank!"

She patted Kenji's spiky hair, smiling brightly. "Calm down Kenji, I'm fine! A few pins in my shoe isn't gonna ruin anything." That was a lie. She was boiling with rage, almost exploding with fury. It took all she had not to let her smile waver, feeling sick to her stomach with anger. But she didn't want to worry Kenji, who was always the first one to worry. No, rather keep in these dark swirls and shadows. For his sake.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his bright orange hair.

"...alright, but if anything happens, you gotta tell me alright?"

She grinned, nodding eagerly, even though she wanted to strangle whoever did this. How dare they mess with the president of the game creation club.

"Of course I'll tell you. Nothing's going to happen, I promise!"

He glanced at the little girl, who was busy taking out the tacks in her other shoe. This didn't sit right with him. He really wanted to believe her and shrug this off but...what was with this...

_Unease?_

_xXx_

Locking the bathroom stall door, Roka took a shaky breath, trying to swallow down the lump that was stuck in her throat. Okay...maybe, this was a problem.

Sitting down she took a deep breath, trying to slow down her train of thought that was running wild in her head.

From the moment she left Kenji at the lockers, her luck had seemingly run out. At first it was just minor things that bothered her. A few crude remarks on her desk, some of her books missing, or her pencils broken. Childish things that were bothersome; no more than annoying. But as the day progressed they only got worse. Her gym clothes cut into ribbons, her locker filled to the brim with trash, and her outside shoes thrown into a nearby dustbin. And the worst? Someone dumped water over her whilst she was moving to the next class, snickering before ducking out of view, their face still a mystery. The little fire elemental looked down at her soaked attire, clenching her fists in frustration. Chitose had heard about the harassing, and already informed the others. This was probably gonna come up in the club...which was exactly what she tried to avoid. Panic. This needed to be handled, but they would only worry and get upset.

Sinking down to the floor, she sighed deeply, swallowing once more. To feel so embarrassed and belittled...damn it.

She was gonna beat whoever did this to her.

xXx

"-And this is final! I've already spoken." The little girl shouted, the other club members finally silent. This however lasted a measly second before they unleashed an onslaught of protest. This club meeting was a disaster. Chitose was shouting like a madman, cussing and cursing at the unknown culprit, going so far as to make about a hundred death threats. Sakura was trying to comfort her, patting her head and pouring her glasses of water, even though she clearly needed no comforting! Even Teach, who Roka was sure would stay sensible in such a situation, was frantically making calls, loudly speaking to be heard over Chitose's booming voice. She honestly didn't even know Minami could raise the volume of her voice.

Kenji was quietly surveying the situation from the corner. This was chaos, and none of it was helping the situation at hand. Everyone was upset, even outraged. He got that. But to be in such a frenzy over this, was only making Roka feel uneasy. She was biting her bottom lip, her hand scrunching up the side of her hair in worry as she tried to contain herself. He could understand their outburst though. Who could possibly do this to her? Her little body was so small and frail, he felt like if he didn't stand beside her these stupid pranks could break her in two. He thought about grabbing Roka and dragging her off to somewhere quiet where she could gather her bearings, but the others would stop them before they even got out of the door. Silently moving over next to Roka, he took a seat, the girl trying to assure Sakura that she was find.

Reaching for her hand under the table, he took her small fingers into his, her head whipping around to look at him. He was lying back in his chair looking the other way, acting as innocent as a delinquent could. But giving her hand a small squeeze he tried to ease her frustration, hoping she understood that she wasn't alone in this mess.

She sighed softly with relief, that was almost infectious for Kenji. He felt better now that she felt a little bit more relived. She gazed at all the others, caught up in this chaos. But it felt like there was complete silence surrounding them. As if they were sitting in the eye of a whirling, wild, unstoppable storm, and they were just watching it wreck havoc. Squeezing his hand, she took a deep breath, and waited, for her club members to calm down.

xXx

It had been approximately a week since the harassing started. And, to everyone's dismay, they didn't stop. In fact, it seemed it was only getting a worse. Closing his eyes, Kenji lazily rested against the wall in the school hallway, nodding his head to the rhythm coming from his red headphones. It was a miracle that the other girls were keeping mostly quiet about the whole ordeal. If anything, it was probably Roka's attitude towards this that kept everyone sane. She reacted to the pranks as if it was some sort of "attack" from those against the "holy" elements. She'd shrug it off, ignore it or blatantly joke about, or mock the perpetrators.

Pulling the pair of headphones from his head around his neck, he stuffed his phone into his pocket, and started walking towards the club room. He wasn't sure why he was going there...they didn't have a club meeting today. It was as if he wasn't aware of where he was going, as if his feet were just walking on his own. His eyes unfocused, and, almost as if out of habit, his feet carried him down the hallway. As he stood in the doorway and realized where he was, his gaze immediately found the familiar golden shimmer of Roka's hair. She sat by the window, the curtains swaying in the soft breeze that lightly tossed her hair over her narrow shoulder. The late afternoon sun spilled over the side of her small face, lining her short blonde locks with shining gold. Turning her head she spotted the boy, her amber eyes finding his from across the room. It was strange. They felt the need to be surprised at seeing each other. Roka, who had thought everyone had left, and Kenji, not even knowing why he was here in the first place. But, walking towards her, he could only feel the need to draw close, the need to be here in this moment.

She looked up at the boy, trying to read his emotions or get a glimpse of what he was feeling, but he looked completely neutral. Then again, she sort of felt the same. Around them, there wasn't pleasant, or unpleasant. It was just sort of there, between them. It was quiet for a long time, both of their gazes not wavering, but no words were exchanged, as the wind occupied all the sound in the room.

"...hey, you doing okay?" He asked, his voice sounding calm and assuring. Reading her like a book, she gave a choked chuckle, looking down as she spoke. "Not really.."

It was quiet again, both of the teens not knowing quite what to say. Roka's eyes widened a bit as she felt a large hand drop onto her head. Glancing at the boy, he didn't say anything, and instead stroked the small girl's head.

"Kenji...?"

"Yeah."

Swallowing the nauseous feeling that sat in her throat she softly asked the boy, who continued to pet her,

"Can I stop acting for a bit?"

He looked down at the girl, trying to hold back his growing anger. She sounded like she was pleading, like she was begging. She doesn't need his permission to take a break from all this! Who the hell was making it so difficult for her?

Wrapping his arms around her small body where she sat in the chair, he pulled her close against his chest, embracing her with all his might.

"Idiot. Why didn't you come to me sooner?!"

She almost started laughing. Why didn't she come to him sooner? She was always handeling everything on her own, always masking up the problems. But he tore down the tape so easily, that everything just falls apart, and scatters across the floor. And then, without any effort at all, he picks up the broken pieces and puts them back together. Burying her face into his sweater, she clung to his clothes as she gasped with the relief she felt. She was tired. And a little scared. She was angry, and felt alone, and she felt frustrated. She was feeling so many conflicting emotions, that had to stay hidden...

She was just so happy, that for a little while, even just a second, she was allowed to feel these forbidden feelings of hers...

He held her tightly, expecting her to cry. But not a single tear was shed. She just held onto him, as if that was all she needed in this world. It made him happy that she could drop her defenses around him...but it made him so angry that this kept happening. That this had happened before. That this was some sort of wicked recurring scenario. Where he had to hold this little girl because the world was put to get her. Nestling his face between her locks, he wondered for the life of him _who_. Who the hell was doing this?

xXx

As her feet carried her to her desk, she picked up her bag with heavy hands, wondering how many times she's left the school this late. She was about to leave, when she spotted a white note on the underside of her table. Peeling it off, her eyes scanned the black scribbles, feeling the anxiety in her heart grow until it swallowed everything else in a black hole of fear. This was quickly overwhelmed by anger that burned so furiously, it felt like the sun laced her fingertips. Dropping the little parchment, she clenched her fist as gravity seemed to pull her down. She felt so heavy, as if her bones were made of cold iron. She felt like she would topple over any second.  
Fall and break into a million pieces...

_How was your week?_  
_If you don't want us to target your friends next you'll come meet us where we saw each other last time._  
_Come alone._

_The band of the 14 Devils._


	10. Chapter 10: The light elemental

Chapter 10: The light elemental

**Author's Note:**

_Hey guys! So...um...it's been a while?_  
_*thunderous booing from the fans*_  
_Yes yes, we do this everytime. But my exams are over! And i worked super hard on this chapter, there's lots of plot development and it's long too!_  
_*is thrown in face by popcorn*_  
_Now that's just immature. Well guys! I'm nothing gonna focus too much on other details, I know you've been waiting pretty long for this. It's my first fight scene so I'd love some feedback_

_Don't forget to review, comment, criticize and leave questions and suggestions. I love all of your reviews, and all of you for reading my story! Bye my little elementals! May your elements always stay pure!_  
_Dorksy Daisy, writer elemental._

_xXx_

_Damn it._  
Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!

Kenji was running. Running so fast that his feet barely hit the ground, the wind clawing at his face as he frantically made his way down the street. The sun was setting at an alarming rate, staining the sky with bright, burning orange, the little time he had set aflame by the dusk. If only he'd seen it sooner...if only he'd followed her, or walked her home. If only...  
He clenched his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as a burst of energy shot him forward. If only he'd seen the note an hour ago. He was already home when he realized he had forgotten his bag at school. He was going to take his bike, but decided to leave it since it wasn't such a long distance from his house. He was regretting that decision down to his core now. When he got there he noticed the note on Roka's table, inviting and begging to be picked up. Curiosity got the better of him, and he read it over.

The realization of the situation sunk in immediately, so quick that he was already running out of the school, his mind throwing a thousand lines of speeding thoughts against his head, scratching and biting to be heard and acknowledged. But he couldn't pay mind to the yapping and yipping of his conscience. The worry was already eating away at him, to think about what was happening to Roka...no. First he'll get there, then he'll figure out the rest. Right now, he just had to reach her. Thinking back to when he was kidnapped by the 14 Devils, he could feel the past anger rising, boiling over until it felt like hot coals were lodged in his throat. Back when they broke Roka's stupid 'porn' game, he didn't know why he hit Odawara, the leader of the gang. The thug just broke a game he had no interest in, so why get upset at all? But that was the thing. _Roka_ had an interest in it. It was the first board game she ever made, and even though it had a pretty sketchy goal, it was still her prized possession. When he saw it get stomped on like that...his body moved on it's own. Even now he still doesn't quite get it. But this time, they've taken it too far... This time, they would pay dearly for the mistake they made. Thunder clapped above the boy, voicing his anger and frustration with booming echoes across the heavens. And with that, like a great announcement of arrival, the _rain began to fall._

xXx

Roka struggled against the tight ropes bounding her to the wooden pillar, her arms already raw and torn. _'What kind of situation was this?'_ She wondered, wincing as she felt blood trickle down her arms. Thirteen thugs lay scattered across the room, some unconscious, some squirming or moaning in pain. She had lost a few bags over the past two years, namely one to Hachi in her first year of school, one to Kenji in their duel, and finally, one of her important bags to Kenji yet again, who tore it up in front of her. 13 bags remained of the sixteen, and seven important bags she dared not use. Taking that into consideration, she was left with a total of six bags she used to "instant kill" one of her enemies. The rest she had to battle out fair and square, which was difficult seeing as their stamina outweighed hers by almost triple. Her mind quickly jumped back to the fight, cussing at herself for not paying closer attention to her surroundings.

Just before she entered into their domain, she counted her bags and went over the game plan one more time. There were fourteen thugs in there, all big, burly and stronger than her. Her advantages were speed, accuracy and agility. Deciding to hold off on bagging them immediately, she would try and take them out by hand first and when absolutely necessary, use her bags. That way, she could avoid being overwhelmed by them. Along with that was her trusty rope to tie their hands, and a few tricks up her sleeves. The little fire elemental knew that there would be no reasoning with them, and that as soon as she set a foot through those doors, they would attack her. If the past week was any indication, they wouldn't go easy on her. However, some of them were sluggish and slow, so maybe she could use that to get the upper hand. Steeling herself, she placed her small hands on the door, and pushed them open.

Almost immediately, an onslaught of thugs leaped at her, not a second to spare as she ducked out of the way. A blond behemoth tried to grab hold of her, Roka gracefully evading his large hands. Sliding underneath his feet, he tripped over her into the concrete wall, giving a prominent 'oof' before sinking down onto the floor.  
There goes number 1.  
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted an oncoming enemy, swinging a metal bat in his hands and grinning like a mad man. He was probably going to aim for her legs. With no other place to go, she whipped out one her violet bags just as he drew near, leaping up into the air, and sacking him as she flipped over the thug, pulling the golden strings tightly down with her as her feet touched the ground. Loosing his balance he toppled over, and she expertly tied his hands behind his back, two other targets already approaching. Number 2 was now neutralized. Preparing for the next attack, she gasped, realizing that she misjudged the right one's speed. Before she had any time to react, his fist had made contact with her belly, sending her flying towards the wall. _'No, come on, shoot your legs out!'_ She frantically thought, planting her feet on the floor and lowering her body to the ground as she bent her left knee to gain balance. She managed to slide to a stop before hitting the wall, breathing a sigh of relief. Laughter broke out, the mocking, taunting voices reverberating in her ears. It seemed like most of the band was holding back, sending in one or two at a time. They were playing around with her, giving her a fighting chance.

How bitterly _sweet_ of them.

Looking up from under her bangs, the two boys that attacked her shuddered as wisps of fear swept across their spines. In her low stance, her eyes looked like two black holes, swallowing up all the light in the room, her face a slate of blank stone. Determination lined her deeply furrowed brow, as she bit into her lip, a drop of blood staining her pearly teeth with crimson. _'Something...something's not right...'_ The boy thought, glancing at his friend next to him. A skinnier fellow took the opportunity to grab the small girl by her collar, throwing her down onto the cold, hard floor. The crowd on the sidelines burst into boisterous laughter yet again, one by one heading towards the collapsed girl to throw in a punch or two. _'No...no wait, something...'_ The boy from before tried to make out the girl's expression, but the golden curtain of her hair obscured her diminutive face. He could feel it. Growing, spreading out to the corners of the room. Black, hollow, emptiness greedily snatched at the smug faces of the group, silently chuckling at the approaching feast. It slithered up the side of the walls like a snake, and swallowed the pillars with it's gaping jaw. He felt it sink it's claws into the roof and engulf the whole room, spitting and sputtering like melted tar. And with a sinister smile, it licked it's cold, cracked lips in anticipation, like a hungry wolf lay in wait. It felt like darkness, like obscurity. Like angst, like the calm before the storm. It felt like the void, like oblivion... And grinning madly, it reveled in the stench of disregard and ignorance, waiting for the alarm and shock that was about to break out like a wildfire. It felt like a disease had spread across the room, and plagued the very air they all breathed.  
_It felt like a shadow had devoured the room..._

Her neck snapped upright, a mask of blood covering her eyes that shone like burning amber underneath the dripping scarlet. Everyone froze, paralyzed upon seeing the girl's face. She stood up without making a sound like a ghost, her stature closely resembling a rag doll, limp and twisted this way and that. Her knees bent inwards like a broken toy as she staggered upright, her head rolling forward on her neck. Her fingers twitched, as if undead and only now coming to life. She felt like something alien, malicious and rotten. Tilting her head, the previous boy gasped as her eyes darted from one to another, moving so fast it looked like her irises were shuddering. And then, they came to fall on him. They were like pools of molten gold, merciless and hungry like the eyes of a predator. Her eyes burned with malice, and quivered with fear. He took a step back as he noticed her pupils, blank and empty, yet screaming with frustration. They were wicked yet innocent, confused and conflicting. Eyes like that has history behind it so foul that it tainted the air with unbreathable miasma. They had pushed a cowering dog into a corner, and poked it raw with a stick. With no other choice the dog decided to become aggressive, to become rabid.  
The dog, decided to become _savage._

She bent her knees, throwing her arms back, and like a bolt of lightning shot forward, not even a second going by before the boy was bagged and thrown back against the wall. She didn't even blink, slowly standing upright again as she looked down at the silenced boy with unfeeling eyes. He did not get up again. Number 3 was taken care off. Her eyes wide like saucers, her head lolled over her shoulder as she looked back at the others. Fear. Peril. Terror. The trepidation was plain as day on their distress-struck faces. The realization that from this girl's feet, shadows were bound, and that in front of this girl's eyes the very night trembled. Cracking her neck she sighed, as if tired. Her voice shook, as if cold.

"Let's play...a game?"

She leaped forward, kicking a thug in the head, his cry meeting the floor in an unforgiving blow. Before he had a chance to get up again, she forced her narrow foot down onto the side of his face, driving her heel into his cheek with all the strength she had. She lowered her face until it appeared upside down before the trembling bandit, her chrome hair, unruly from the fight, hanging like a veil behind her bloodied face. Slanting her head to the side, she said in an unnerving voice that was not hers,  
_"Tag, you're it."_  
Drawing her arm back, she smashed her elbow into his face, and with a flourish of her hands, he was tied up. She whipped around to see a thug dare to draw near. Plucking her blue ribbon from her neck, she jumped above his burly hand, flipping over his meaty head to land on his broad shoulders, slinging the ribbon around his thick, bulging neck. Pulling tightly, he gasped as his air supply was cut off and stumbled toward one of the pillars. Like riding an enraged rhino, she pulled him towards it with a swift motion, and gracefully used his large back to propel herself off of him as a loud "bang" resided throughout the room. Number 4 and 5 were gone. They got it know. They understood. In this state her wounds held no power over her, her emotions could not even graze her mind. In this state all the humanly shackles were dropped to the floor, and she could finally stretch her cramped limbs again. She was free, as if something inhuman. She was like a flame, yet drowned in black, inky oblivion.

They all charged at her, some out of fear, some out of pride. She dashed towards them, the only thing standing out from her expressionless face her eyes, that captured the very essence of a crackling fire. She dropped to her black stocking-covered knees, sliding underneath a thug and bagging him from behind. Number 6. She swiftly ducked a punch, and used the opportunity to strike his chest which was wide open. Two targets making their way towards her, she plucked out duel firecrackers, the surprise she had in store, and bolted towards the slim gap between them. Quickly lighting them, she struck both with her armed weapons, and sliding to a halt, heard the satisfying "bang-bang" and the thud of two targets falling down behind her. Number 7 and Number 8.  
The bandit from before came running again, angered that she managed to land a hit. She simply side stepped his lunges, quickly pulling another bag out and scanning the terrain for openings. Noticing the wall, she ran towards it with incredible speed, the man eager to catch up. Propelling herself off of the brick wall, she spiraled at his head, bagging him and ending him quickly. Number 9 was then hurriedly tied up. Two bags remained. It seemed they were teaming up in pairs, for two more came in tow, carrying a net this time. She resisted the urge to giggle, wondering if they knew how useless that would be. Nimbly avoiding them, she swung around their bodies so that she was behind them. Using their backs as stepping stones, she climbed up them and then leaped into the air, shooting both her legs out as her shoes made contact with the side of their faces. As they tried to recover she grabbed the net, throwing it over them and knocking their feet out from under them. Tying the net into place, number 10 and number 11 was unable to bother her anymore. She could feel a pair of thugs draw up behind her, but they hesitated, as if wondering what to do. Their comrades lay around them like discarded toys, thrown about without a second thought. They didn't like to back down from a fight but...this was just _insanity._

"Tired of playing tag?" Her voice was raspy when she slowly turned around, tilting her head as she questioned them. Her eyes swirled with madness, darkness radiating from her small body.  
"Then let's play a new game..." She said with a monotone voice, dashing from their sight as she hid in the dark corners behind the table. Her voice echoed throughout the empty room, the two victims frantically glancing around as they tried to find her.  
"Let's play...hide and seek!" She giggled, the unnerving sound making the hair on theirs necks stand on end. "That'll never do...you're out in the open. You're not even trying...Maybe if you hid in the dark, no one would be able to find you. Let me help you with that..."  
Suddenly dropping down onto him from above, the man screeched as if a banshee had appeared before his eyes. She wrapped her legs around his neck, and pulled the bag over his eyes, thrusting him into darkness. He pulled at the sack over his head, his muffled shouts making Number 13 recoil in horror. Slinging a rope around his hands as he tried to pry the bag off, she pulled it tight, his balance suddenly taken away. Stumbling, the world was turned upside down, his sight and the use of his arms rendered useless. Vaulting off from her place on his shoulders, she flipped so that she landed on her hands, pushing herself off once more so that she gracefully came to land on her feet, a purple bag already grasped tightly in her hands. As the thug behind her fell down, a grin slowly spread across his lips, the thug before her trembling in terror. _"Found you~"_ she cooed a sing-song voice, the smile from before suddenly disappearing as she furrowed her brow, glaring deeply at the boy. The blatant contempt and hatred was clearly carved into her forehead, her small lips pulled into a fierce snarl.

This was all just a game to the girl. To phase out the pain, and the fear of being attacked by thirteen thugs, she made it all pretend. The objective was to finish off everyone in the room, and escape. It was simple, and there were no rules that bound her. The boy before her understood now, that he was merely another target amongst the rest. And he was in the way of her objective. Bending her legs, she shot forward, and lifting her arms, she bagged the boy, thus ending number 12 and 13.

However, she quickly shot upright in realization, an unwelcome fear suddenly making it's presence known. _'Thirteen? That can't be right...there were fourteen of them,'_ she thought, dread already settling in her stomach. Frantically looking around, she finally awoke from her darkness, the pain of her wounds clawing to the surface and overwhelming exhaustion seeping into her bones. No...wait_. The leader!_ Just as she spun around, a heavy object smashed against the side of her face, and this time, it was she who was plunged into darkness.

And so she came to, tied up around one of the wooden pillars. Pressing the sides of her arms against the ropes yet again, her face became strained as pain flared across the back of her shoulders. She was wearing out the muscles that were used to lift her arms. If this continued any further, she might start ripping them, though very unlikely. Her skin was used as a canvas to paint bruises and cuts upon, her whole body aching with every movement. _'What is the time? It had gotten so late already...'_ she thought with growing worry.  
"Well well, what a surprise. I was sure my gang would be able to catch you..._Underground Boss Roka..._" Odawara stepped forward, a wolfish grin plastered across his face like a trophy. He looked so smug, it made her sick. "You know, you've been bothering me a lot lately. Coming here last time and beating us up? Thought that was funny didn't cha? And here I am, hearing you've taken over the new game on the market...what was it called? Magic town? Something on the lines of that" he scoffed, drawing closer as Roka pressed her back against the pillar in a meek attempt to get away from him. "I became so tired of hearing the name "Underground Boss" everywhere I went... The band of Fourteen devils have become bugs underneath your feet, and I refuse to stand here, and take it!" He yelled, Roka glaring at him with contempt.

"It's not my problem if you're fading away to become no less that a myth! Leave me out of it!" She spat, struggling against her bonds even more. He seemed to find this amusing, because he laughed and came to stand in front of her, his foul smelling breath making her gag.  
"Something the matter little girl? Why not come and show me if your bite is bigger than your bark, bitch!" Grabbing onto the side of her hair, he yanked her head up so the distance between their faces became less, a wicked smirk staining his cracked lips. She hissed in pain, baring her teeth with ferocity, her hatred burning like hot iron. Narrowing his eyes, he threw her back against the pole, making his way behind her. With a thick, rough finger, he traced the rope surrounding the girl, her blood running cold as he grazed her.  
"With all your strugglin' and wrigglin', you've actually started to wear the rope out...it's em' pesky arms of yours. Lemme take care of those for yah." She heard the metallic sound of a knife being drawn, metal scraping against metal in brutal delight and felt her body grow stiff. _'No, not a scar. Anything but that,'_ She frantically thpught, biting her lip as she tried her best to steel herself.

Roka gritted her teeth as pain surged through her shoulder, the cold knife pressing against her skin. Just as she felt warm blood stain her shirt, the doors burst open and she could hear frantic panting behind her. Sweat dripping down her brow, she weakly turned her head to see who it was, hoping against all odds it wasn't another one of Odawara's goons. Her eyes snapped open, tears threatening to spill over. It was like all her emotions were doused with relief, as if she was finally able to catch her breath. In the doorway, his windblown hair messy and his clothes disheveled, panting heavily from running, stood _Kenji_, an intense expression masking his features. He was drenched from head to toe, his clothes soaked from the raging storm outside.

Upon seeing the girl, the boy felt outrage rule his mind, clenching his fist to control his fierce emotions. He could only see the girl's face, but dried blood caked her forehead, and she was clearly tied up against one of the wooden pillars. Quickly glancing around the room, he could see ten...no, maybe twelve thugs laying about like strewn garbage, some still conscious but refusing to get up. Did Roka take all of them out by herself? It was almost impossible to believe, however, he could spot her familiar plum colored bags from a mile away, and knew that this was the work of the fire elemental. How hurt must she be to have taken on so many people at one time? How bruised must her body be? No...how _scared_ must she have been facing them?

"Odawara!" He yelled, storming into the room. The burly man followed the boy's movements with caution, standing up from his hunched over position. Kenji could barely contain his anger, clenching his fists until his knuckled turned white. Now that he had a better look at Roka, he could see bright crimson seeping into her shirt, and her arms torn and frayed like the edges of a discarded scarf. What about under the surface? How many bruises lay underneath her garments? How many cuts, scrapes and wounds that he couldn't see? And for what?! They already caused her enough torment at school, but decided to drag her down here anyways! Even though she's the underground boss.  
Even though she's a pro gamer.  
Even though she was able to take down THIRTEEN men all on her own,  
She was just Roka.  
_She was just a girl..._

The Fourteenth devil stepped forward, only for Kenji to pull out his cellphone.  
"If you don't want the police here in about fifteen minutes I suggest you back the hell off."  
He wavered but didn't look convinced. Biting his lip, Kenji continued.  
"Think about it. There's a whole lot of thugs lying about unconscious, and you have a small girl, wounded I may add you sick son of a bitch, tied up in your disgusting lair. You really think they're gonna come in here and think she did all this? You don't even have a scratch on you. For all they know, you're some deranged psychopath who likes to kidnap high school girls, and beat people up. So why don't you just take a step back before you have to take a step back into a prison cell you twisted bastard."  
His voice was full of malice, like he wanted to grab Odawara by the neck and choke him. So much anger and bloodlust had filled his body that he was trembling with the urge to hold himself back. If anything, they would probably put him in the jail cell if he got his hands on that maniac. Luckily, the burly leader took a few steps back, raising his hands up in the air.  
"Good choice. Drop the knife, and kick over to me." He complied, and Kenji was revolted to see blood lacing the knife. No doubt Roka's. However, he picked it up, watching the man as he slowly moved closer to Roka. Sure that he wasn't going to try anything, he dropped down, and started to cut the ropes loose.

"Don't worry Roka, I'm gonna get you out of here okay? Shh, it's gonna be alright..." He wasn't just saying that to the girl, but also to himself. This frantic feeling of worry and concern wouldn't go away. More than the anger, he just wanted to take Roka away from this place. As he cut away more of the ropes, more of the girl's damaged skin was exposed, his heart sinking as the knife scraped against the bonds, the sound making him shudder.  
"Kenji...why are you here?" She questioned, her breath ragged and raspy like that of a smoker's. The wounds and battle had taken it's toll on her, and was leaving it's horrendous marks behind on the little girl.  
"To save you, you idiot!" He said between clenched teeth. At that she weakly chuckled, the last of the ropes falling loosely around her.  
"I'm so glad you came when you did...sorry..." She breathed, squeezing her eyes shut. He wasn't quite sure why she was apologizing...for trying to do this alone? For getting caught? Either way, she didn't have to say sorry. None of this was her fault...the only one at fault here was him, for not arriving sooner.

"Can you stand?" He asked gently, to which the girl nodded. Even so, he wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her to her feet, seeing her wince as pain consumed her body. But Kenji had lost focus, and before he knew it Odawara was behind him and had grabbed the cellphone from his hand.  
"Now we're on even grounds" the man spat, tossing the orange haired boy's phone over his shoulder. _'No! Damn it, I got distracted...'_ they boy angrily thought, glancing at the weary girl with worry. There was no choice to be made, it was already laid out before him.  
"Roka, I need you to run for me..."  
She shook her head with all the energy she had left, her hair whipping from side to side.  
"This isn't a request, there's no other way..." he forced out between his teeth, trying not to give in to temptation. He didn't want her to leave...but, he had to protect her.  
"Not...going..." The girl panted heavily.  
"Stop arguing with me and just go!" He yelled, hating the way she jolted at hearing him raise his voice against her. She pulled away from his hold, staggering to her feet, her arms hanging limply by her sides. As she straightened her neck, he felt himself waver at her gaze. Oh gosh did he waver upon seeing those calm, stone eyes looking at him without feeling.  
"No."  
"You don't get it do you..." He chuckled, already at his breaking point, gripping his face with his hand as if he was in pain. "You're in the way! You're useless like you are now! You'll slow me down, so get out of my way!" He cried, his words laced with false poison. He had to watch as those stone cold eyes, turned hopelessly lost with pain.  
Silence gripped the air, and she grit her teeth. He felt like this rope tied around him would snap any moment. It would break and let him run towards her, embrace her and tell her he didn't mean any of it. Long lacerations were tearing threw his self control, and his restraints were slowly unraveling.

The girl backed away without a word.

"Bastard!" Kenji screamed at the leader, lunging at him and managing to land a punch across his prominent jawline. This was his fault. That he had to scream at Roka. That he had to save her. That he had to endure that look from her as he lied to her face. This was all, his fault. _His_ fault...yeah. This was all his _own_ fault.  
He savagely attacked the thug, smashing his fists into the behemoth with strength fueled by hatred. For a moment it seemed like he had the upper hand, like his rage would become a beast and devour Odawara. It did not last. His large hand wrapped around Kenji's wrist, twisting his arm until he heard the satisfying cry of pain. He was loosing. He didn't even last a second...he came here to rescue that girl but was instead caught in the spider's web. How tangled this silk has become...it's beautiful white strands were now stained with so much red.

Kenji's eyes blurred for a moment before staring straight at Roka, a purple bag in her hand from one of the other thugs, her thin legs running towards them. The expression on her face was one of anger, one of deep hatred. It was dark and fierce, her eyes shining bright like a sky full of comets that shot like burning trains. Her forehead was pulled into a scowl, and her lips into a snarl. It was a dark expression, that made the boy shudder. She leaped from the ground, bending her knees under her as she raised her arms as high as they could go with her injuries. Rising above the man, a cry tore from her lips that made Kenji's blood run cold, the bag slipping over the leader's head. Tightening the golden strings of the dark purple bag, she forced her legs against Odawara's back.  
_He fell._

Roka slowly rose from her position on top of the behemoth, stumbling towards Kenji. He was so shocked he could only stare at the girl, her eyes masked by her shimmering hair. Why...she was so injured, suffering even. But for him, she would run into battle without any thought to her own personal safety. Why did this girl do so much for him, yet never allow him to do anything for her? Why did this girl put her life on the line for someone like him? Why did she risk everything for someone...for someone like _him_?  
"Kenji...I finally figured it out..."  
Her voice was labored, taking unsteady steps towards him. Smiling weakly, she coughed, her lips trembling. She was struggling to walk, her movements like a zombie.  
"You're...just like me...I claim to be...the fire elemental, but it's...only to hide my true, darkness element..."  
She was right in front of him now, her face still obscured by the stubborn golden threads and her whole body shaking with the effort it took to walk towards him. Raising her arm painfully slowly, trembling, her hand gently cupped his cheek, as if touching fragile glass.  
"It took me...so long...to notice..." She gasped, a tender expression gracing her features.  
"The wind elemental...only hides your true colors..." She smiled, her eyes hidden, but he could see tears streaming down her cheeks, her breath coming out in ragged gasps.  
"Kenji..._the light elemental_..."

She fell, the boy barely registering as he caught the limp girl in his arms, sinking down to the cold floor. The continuous drone of the rain outside shushed in his ears, blocking out all other noise. He held Roka, unable to move or say anything, amidst the fourteen, unmoving bodies, his mind blank. All that Kenji could hear was the thunderous rain...  
And all he could feel, was his own tears, rolling down his cheeks.


End file.
